tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53892076447106809832017-08-17T22:18:35.302-05:00Texas TalesAmber B.noreply@blogger.comBlogger804125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-54126188226386020012016-08-13T12:55:00.003-05:002016-08-13T12:55:55.293-05:00My Daughter's Open Heart SurgeryThis summer took a <i>completely</i> different direction then what we originally intended. As school came to a close in the spring, we began to get excited about various outings, lots of time at the pool with the kids and late mornings. But first I wanted to get Kailey's heart checked out as I'd had a nagging feeling for quite awhile that something was wrong. Despite having medical professionals tell me she sounded fine, I insisted on a referral to a pediatric cardiologist and got an appointment for her. I wasn't sure exactly what I was expecting them to find—maybe something off with her heart beat that could be corrected with medication—but what we discovered was <i>much</i> more serious. She had a massive hole between the two atriums of her heart known as an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and needed open heart surgery within six to eight weeks to close it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J_F_G6Qal3g/V69eBWpf9SI/AAAAAAAAQCY/8I5fg0pCSfsrtNSF76BXVlWBEp1PGJHbQCLcB/s1600/2016-07-12_184837190_5804F_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J_F_G6Qal3g/V69eBWpf9SI/AAAAAAAAQCY/8I5fg0pCSfsrtNSF76BXVlWBEp1PGJHbQCLcB/s1600/2016-07-12_184837190_5804F_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><br />The combination of a mother's instinct and the Holy Spirit is a powerful thing. Powerful enough that it saved my daughter's life in a situation we never thought we'd find ourselves. The past two months or so have been a mixture of traumatic, stressful, spiritual, challenging, inspiring and hopeful. We are extremely grateful and blessed to now say that "relief" is also part of that journey, ever since my sweet girl had her heart surgery on July 12.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_q_G4mFgzw0/V69eBoTRfiI/AAAAAAAAQCU/2QZa4ifI0PgUYcRne9cyl25VR50o_zRggCEw/s1600/2016-07-13_024127531_E0797_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_q_G4mFgzw0/V69eBoTRfiI/AAAAAAAAQCU/2QZa4ifI0PgUYcRne9cyl25VR50o_zRggCEw/s1600/2016-07-13_024127531_E0797_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><br />We had known since our days in the NICU that she was born with a heart murmur. I honestly can't recall if she was given an echocardiogram at that time or not, but we were told she was otherwise healthy and moved on with our babies once they were all released one by one to come home. Two months after their delivery, we had the four of them under our roof and began life as a family of six with 32 bottles to give every 24 hours and about 60 minutes of sleep as new parents to quadruplets. There were follow-up doctor visits to check potentially worrisome issues with their eyes, with Kailey's hips and so on. But her extreme far sightedness actually correct itself as she grew and her hip dysplasia did as well. Logan and Trystan were both in great health and despite Harrison's serious illness in the NICU, he has zero complications to this day. Just two small scars—one on each side of his chest—to remind us of that day in particular we nearly lost our little boy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-foTqcohMhls/V69eBVz3wJI/AAAAAAAAQCQ/qpj3H2POD8AuKZTgbVmv10GzGL0Lf6FigCEw/s1600/2016-07-13_184919676_29C3A_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-foTqcohMhls/V69eBVz3wJI/AAAAAAAAQCQ/qpj3H2POD8AuKZTgbVmv10GzGL0Lf6FigCEw/s1600/2016-07-13_184919676_29C3A_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As the kiddos grew and especially within the last year, I noticed that Kailey's heart seemed to beat extra hard and that it raced at times even though she'd be at complete rest and it should have been beating calmly and rhythmically. Any time we went to our pediatrician office, I'd ask him or her to listen to her heart and see if there was reason to be concerned. Earlier this year, we had a small issue arise that led to getting Kailey's kidneys completely checked out (which they did, everything turned up normal) and I also asked additional medical professionals to listen to and feel her heart. But everyone told me the same thing—she seems fine.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew0QnAGKKLo/V69eBpifmAI/AAAAAAAAQCc/kDuznAZki1wZFtmCuLyhxRilQJYYimvGQCEw/s1600/2016-07-14_135407285_79F6F_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew0QnAGKKLo/V69eBpifmAI/AAAAAAAAQCc/kDuznAZki1wZFtmCuLyhxRilQJYYimvGQCEw/s1600/2016-07-14_135407285_79F6F_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>However, when we went to the pediatric cardiologist they had barely completed the EKG before whisking her into another room where one of the cardiologists himself performed the echo Kailey and diagnosed the ASD. It was just myself and my little girl at the appointment that day and I remember going into shock as I was leaving the building and wondering how this could be happening. Turns out, it was a congenital heart defect, meaning she was born with it. And it also turned out, that we caught it just in time. The cardiologist assured me that we couldn't have had an operation on it until about the time she was four so our timing was perfect. But he also gently let me know that the hole was so large that had this gone undetected for even a few more years the results would have been fatal.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LyFi-36OQKQ/V69eBw7Qe-I/AAAAAAAAQCk/zFamyOCSEkIATrcPZOCr9aJXrxMMTpP6gCEw/s1600/2016-07-19_151751131_7B9C7_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LyFi-36OQKQ/V69eBw7Qe-I/AAAAAAAAQCk/zFamyOCSEkIATrcPZOCr9aJXrxMMTpP6gCEw/s1600/2016-07-19_151751131_7B9C7_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The hole in Kailey's heart means that the wall that typically separates the heart's two upper chambers, known as the left atrium and right atrium, was compromised. In Kailey's case, there was almost no atrial septum or wall there. So a great deal of her oxygen-rich blood or red blood was pouring into the atrium that houses the oxygen-poor or blue blood, thus causing the right side of her heart to become very enlarged with all the extra blood being forced into it. A person's heart, we learned, actually sits at a slight angle with the right side pointing more toward the front of the chest. Since the right side of Kailey's heart was so enlarged that made it closer to her chest wall and was why I could feel it beating so prominently with just my hand.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1z904TlAcU/V69eCPUa1iI/AAAAAAAAQCs/tk5ZSOej96c-3rqwtEyaCTRJROrg_xp2wCEw/s1600/2016-07-27_184756084_3CAF8_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1z904TlAcU/V69eCPUa1iI/AAAAAAAAQCs/tk5ZSOej96c-3rqwtEyaCTRJROrg_xp2wCEw/s1600/2016-07-27_184756084_3CAF8_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><br />Since the day of the diagnosis, I've learned more about congenital heart defects and complications than ever. We learned that small ASDs can often close on their own over time or even be closed by a minimally-invasive catheter surgery using an artery in the leg. But more extreme cases, like Kailey's, require open heart surgery. Immediately, the husband and I began to educate ourselves on pediatric open heart procedures and everything it entailed, what to prepare for, what kind of recovery to expect and long-term effects. The silver lining of having open heart surgery meant the fix would be final and there would be no need for Kailey to ever undergo any of this again.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qR-r_luaPwE/V69eCQva4QI/AAAAAAAAQC4/cAsn1KlUj50oy0Lwg9h4jEoLHbXXDUYrwCEw/s1600/2016-07-30_015116920_409BF_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qR-r_luaPwE/V69eCQva4QI/AAAAAAAAQC4/cAsn1KlUj50oy0Lwg9h4jEoLHbXXDUYrwCEw/s1600/2016-07-30_015116920_409BF_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We spoke with several surgeons, one even out of state, to both confirm the best course of treatment for Kailey and also ask lists of questions we had about the surgery, ASD repair and recovery. By the time we met with Dr. Eric Mendeloff, founder of the Congenital Heart Surgery Unit (CHSU) at Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas, we felt that we had learned everything we needed to know and that we'd also met the best surgeon for the job. Dr. Mendeloff and his staff at the CHSU were phenomenal and we will always be grateful to them for their profound care and saving our little girl's life.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd-8mG3icLw/V69eBzh3E9I/AAAAAAAAQCo/P5oySQ-1-O0sPCe0VfSORpMd5R61789FACEw/s1600/2016-07-26_050532160_D026B_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd-8mG3icLw/V69eBzh3E9I/AAAAAAAAQCo/P5oySQ-1-O0sPCe0VfSORpMd5R61789FACEw/s1600/2016-07-26_050532160_D026B_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><br />Not a day has gone by since Kailey's surgery that I don't thank God for giving me that "feeling" that something was wrong and leading me to the right place to diagnose Kailey and repair her heart. My mother's instinct has never steered me wrong and I know I have Him to thank for that! It has been been just over one month since surgery and we truly cannot believe everything Kailey has gone through or how <i>amazing </i>she looks and acts now!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3-oqXrhnsUM/V69eCZt67HI/AAAAAAAAQC0/H11HyYxhj7kEcxcO_mdsPSm_YsLVBZg4wCEw/s1600/2016-07-30_013326232_9613E_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3-oqXrhnsUM/V69eCZt67HI/AAAAAAAAQC0/H11HyYxhj7kEcxcO_mdsPSm_YsLVBZg4wCEw/s1600/2016-07-30_013326232_9613E_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><br />Recounting this journey so soon after—especially since we had to make a return trip to the ICU due to complications less than one week after being released from the hospital—is certainly full of emotions for me as a mama. But prior to Kailey's surgery, I'd found some books and blogs and other information that proved vital to us surviving this journey as a family and also to help prepare ourselves as parents, Kailey as a patient and her siblings as her support team in what was to come and how things would happen. Just like I've shared my experience with a quad pregnancy and having and raising quadruplets, the husband and I agreed we needed to share this unique journey as well for those coming behind us that find themselves facing the same or a similar diagnoses and those overwhelming and fearful feelings of the unknown.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PECD1hSIZqE/V69eCFHc5EI/AAAAAAAAQCw/bSfSg7KTuWgnzZmPqCO75Fo_8gimnTB3QCEw/s1600/2016-07-29_150151989_A25AB_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PECD1hSIZqE/V69eCFHc5EI/AAAAAAAAQCw/bSfSg7KTuWgnzZmPqCO75Fo_8gimnTB3QCEw/s1600/2016-07-29_150151989_A25AB_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><br />I'll be back soon with additional posts about the day of surgery, her recovery, the things we used to help prepare, what to pack for a week in the ICU and how to help siblings along through a process like this. A heartfelt thanks goes out to our family, especially our parents, who were vital throughout all of it and to our close friends who were a great source of encouragement and support these past few weeks.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HGQFkRFkpl8/V69eCRTZl2I/AAAAAAAAQC8/tcgxZ3Q14JcWXnn2HQDPeYFGmxmZ-7cmQCEw/s1600/2016-07-31_184030071_C0A19_iOS%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HGQFkRFkpl8/V69eCRTZl2I/AAAAAAAAQC8/tcgxZ3Q14JcWXnn2HQDPeYFGmxmZ-7cmQCEw/s1600/2016-07-31_184030071_C0A19_iOS%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><br />Kailey now proudly talks about her superhero heart and we, as her parents, couldn't be more impressed and thankful with the true superhero that she is!Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-91136316137874842212016-03-25T23:59:00.003-05:002016-05-09T19:06:33.520-05:00Good Friday Celebrations, Easter Decor and Free PrintablesOur Good Friday was an especially, well, <i>good</i> one spent with family—just the way we like it. Earlier this week, our family dinner plans changed a bit and I offered to host the casual gathering at our place. I grabbed a ham at the grocery store and gave the house my best once over as quick as I could, which didn't go as smoothly as planned when I came down with a case of food poisoning (never again, local Thai restaurant) on Thursday afternoon. But the husband rallied and helped get everything in order and it all turned out just fine!<br /><br />I returned to the Land of the Living by Friday morning after nearly 12 straight hours in bed. (Cannot remember the last time I did that.) The ham was in the oven by 3:30pm and my parents, plus my sister, Sabrina and the quad's adorable cousin Rayne all came over to celebrate. The kids were super excited to see Rayne who, I later learned, was planning to pick a visit to our house <i>over</i>&nbsp;a trip Six Flags if she had to! What a sweet girl! Fortunately for her, she was able to spend the day at the amusement park and then come join us afterward.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dknXnPM-MOw/VvYTznl7L6I/AAAAAAAAQAc/Ds555k4V6EkJlAbQDOpxHSNgLH59EYKRg/s1600/IMG_1784%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dknXnPM-MOw/VvYTznl7L6I/AAAAAAAAQAc/Ds555k4V6EkJlAbQDOpxHSNgLH59EYKRg/s1600/IMG_1784%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OpST7oeK1Is/VvYTz36P_bI/AAAAAAAAQBY/de89Mmqegv0e_OBen42eYPjnNFBpT2Krw/s1600/IMG_1789%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OpST7oeK1Is/VvYTz36P_bI/AAAAAAAAQBY/de89Mmqegv0e_OBen42eYPjnNFBpT2Krw/s1600/IMG_1789%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4eeHmtApJjk/VvYTzrzUIwI/AAAAAAAAQBY/l4N2mVcF18cmdCfQFWPRBBbGbLCMJRq_A/s1600/IMG_1787%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4eeHmtApJjk/VvYTzrzUIwI/AAAAAAAAQBY/l4N2mVcF18cmdCfQFWPRBBbGbLCMJRq_A/s1600/IMG_1787%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Summer (my sister) and Sabrina brought adorable gifts for everyone, large stuffed eggs for the egg hunt and a Paw Patrol mega block set for the kids! That entertained them for over an hour and all five kiddos played so well in the play room together. Sabrina helped me finish stuffing our eggs then she, myself and the husband divided and conquered the front yard, making it look more like a chicken coop gone golden with so many eggs everywhere.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eWsNY1QDLgY/VvYTxsxXq5I/AAAAAAAAQBQ/G_58ZhMjRrkCBJ16AsNR9_h8D6z2ft0vg/s1600/IMG_1736%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eWsNY1QDLgY/VvYTxsxXq5I/AAAAAAAAQBQ/G_58ZhMjRrkCBJ16AsNR9_h8D6z2ft0vg/s1600/IMG_1736%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OALBNdsln4o/VvYT4048a4I/AAAAAAAAQBY/FToqwE1y1w0JqqZ3dGAWLM8-nR1NpbERA/s1600/IMG_1797%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OALBNdsln4o/VvYT4048a4I/AAAAAAAAQBY/FToqwE1y1w0JqqZ3dGAWLM8-nR1NpbERA/s1600/IMG_1797%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-giqY-nT4f18/VvYT402_AaI/AAAAAAAAQBY/Ftkad-3jENwcVf_ok6oGG6fqgxHtdUfYw/s1600/IMG_1802%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-giqY-nT4f18/VvYT402_AaI/AAAAAAAAQBY/Ftkad-3jENwcVf_ok6oGG6fqgxHtdUfYw/s1600/IMG_1802%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tGSktVFQaGw/VvYT47LJQoI/AAAAAAAAQBY/0uh_FJDPY4shxhYxdp42Nj9khCTJJDGjA/s1600/IMG_1817%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tGSktVFQaGw/VvYT47LJQoI/AAAAAAAAQBY/0uh_FJDPY4shxhYxdp42Nj9khCTJJDGjA/s1600/IMG_1817%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />The egg hunt was a huge success—we had over 200 of them!—and each kiddo filled their basket up. I loved it! This year, the quads really had it down too. They didn't try to open each egg as they picked it up and Rayne helped by setting a good and quick example!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJgSJgJsCxk/VvYT5Lc-sJI/AAAAAAAAQBY/2zyRqRweP-8X4JViL9p0qKf_s7mtF4fQw/s1600/IMG_1830%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJgSJgJsCxk/VvYT5Lc-sJI/AAAAAAAAQBY/2zyRqRweP-8X4JViL9p0qKf_s7mtF4fQw/s1600/IMG_1830%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYXabrlqryQ/VvYT5Y78TlI/AAAAAAAAQBY/k8ut4GJyp0cDWNs7myeSlteDCcIWNJyyg/s1600/IMG_1841%2Bedit%2BS%2526S%2526R%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYXabrlqryQ/VvYT5Y78TlI/AAAAAAAAQBY/k8ut4GJyp0cDWNs7myeSlteDCcIWNJyyg/s1600/IMG_1841%2Bedit%2BS%2526S%2526R%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJgOipLszAg/VvYT5u8HGLI/AAAAAAAAQBY/vfmFr_ZJCxIpDt1LDjPFnhJoGDJa1Jjfw/s1600/IMG_1851%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJgOipLszAg/VvYT5u8HGLI/AAAAAAAAQBY/vfmFr_ZJCxIpDt1LDjPFnhJoGDJa1Jjfw/s1600/IMG_1851%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lq2USqCvd_g/VvYT5gVdxRI/AAAAAAAAQBY/fXhXn0bGlnQxC5pFN8LHopAWaYER7Eizg/s1600/IMG_1843%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lq2USqCvd_g/VvYT5gVdxRI/AAAAAAAAQBY/fXhXn0bGlnQxC5pFN8LHopAWaYER7Eizg/s1600/IMG_1843%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />After the egg hunt, we stashed the baskets and sat down for dinner in our kitchen. Ham on the bone, baked beans, homemade potato salad, fruit salad, rolls and peach cobbler with ice cream for dessert. The kids then played pin the tail on the bunny before watching Brer Rabbit, while the adults got a little down time, chatted, play on my Snapchat (find me under TexasTales!) and sipped wine.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvU7lRZO_zA/VvYT6L-W8SI/AAAAAAAAQBY/FOhxhWi5o887PziskgAyQC4rJhyl6C-mw/s1600/IMG_1857%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvU7lRZO_zA/VvYT6L-W8SI/AAAAAAAAQBY/FOhxhWi5o887PziskgAyQC4rJhyl6C-mw/s1600/IMG_1857%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WhVSxQFIe-8/VvYT6YUlKFI/AAAAAAAAQBY/PA2o-C8ZI_kK2e6Ggbxyx7mzsJI64-iWQ/s1600/IMG_1862%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WhVSxQFIe-8/VvYT6YUlKFI/AAAAAAAAQBY/PA2o-C8ZI_kK2e6Ggbxyx7mzsJI64-iWQ/s1600/IMG_1862%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d7ayV6I62t4/VvYT0O2HZsI/AAAAAAAAQBY/bBR6x7EjqQ0s8rc98_kaDsqYGdi2vxTEA/s1600/IMG_1795%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d7ayV6I62t4/VvYT0O2HZsI/AAAAAAAAQBY/bBR6x7EjqQ0s8rc98_kaDsqYGdi2vxTEA/s1600/IMG_1795%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />Later this weekend, I'll share a recap on the rest of our Easter festivities and what's in the quad's Easter baskets, but for now here's a snapshot of the only decor I managed this year. But it's on our entry table by the front door, so I figured it counts double, right!? The cute Easter printable can be found <a href="http://www.landeeseelandeedo.com/2015/04/sunday-encouragement-he-is-risen-4-5-15.html" target="_blank">here</a>; I sized mine down to a 5X7 to fit my frame.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ub-y9fdEn6A/VvYTzS5_76I/AAAAAAAAQBY/rst-BJ1cj5E3GE2rQVB76pqOIYYK5Twyw/s1600/IMG_1781%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ub-y9fdEn6A/VvYTzS5_76I/AAAAAAAAQBY/rst-BJ1cj5E3GE2rQVB76pqOIYYK5Twyw/s1600/IMG_1781%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RGPxCcrJNk/VvYTzbJmtRI/AAAAAAAAQBY/48Kl34a80mst1EpfwOGgpmoCEu31hdvFQ/s1600/IMG_1780%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RGPxCcrJNk/VvYTzbJmtRI/AAAAAAAAQBY/48Kl34a80mst1EpfwOGgpmoCEu31hdvFQ/s1600/IMG_1780%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KCb-iowo9QQ/VvYTzTVbTbI/AAAAAAAAQBY/vUE9R3NQWrIQR_G7LaRms6Jlpxa_QttWw/s1600/IMG_1779%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KCb-iowo9QQ/VvYTzTVbTbI/AAAAAAAAQBY/vUE9R3NQWrIQR_G7LaRms6Jlpxa_QttWw/s1600/IMG_1779%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />Earlier this week, the kiddos had their class Easter egg hunt at school and I created these simple printable tags for a quick and cute teacher Easter gift. I've got 'em for you in a PDF download&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8uZmVjmXvOcV2ZHeXNnVHRISGc/view" target="_blank">right here</a>! They're great for teachers as well as friends and family, too.&nbsp;You can never have too much lip balm or, if you're like me, you just want all the coconut things.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N09i02IwBPQ/VvYTxhw_dwI/AAAAAAAAQBQ/7FPCu5sR-cocFbWe5XyHnnxDfA_3vPsSg/s1600/IMG_1741%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N09i02IwBPQ/VvYTxhw_dwI/AAAAAAAAQBQ/7FPCu5sR-cocFbWe5XyHnnxDfA_3vPsSg/s1600/IMG_1741%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-tiGYgl83s/VvYTxpJisdI/AAAAAAAAQBQ/oQamBsmwSVYH1C5vrKlXxKI_ZFMsbRj7g/s1600/IMG_1738%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-tiGYgl83s/VvYTxpJisdI/AAAAAAAAQBQ/oQamBsmwSVYH1C5vrKlXxKI_ZFMsbRj7g/s1600/IMG_1738%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />For the past two weeks or so, the husband and I have been discussing what Easter is really about (not just the Easter bunny) with the kids and reading some books about Jesus and His life and they're understanding far more than I expected they would. We love all the cute Disney 5 Minute story books, so I was excited to find <a href="http://amzn.to/1q6XsSe" target="_blank">Bible Stories in 5 Minutes</a>, which will be great to convey passages and lessons in terms the kids can relate to. Other library reads we've picked up that have been good for us include <a href="http://amzn.to/1Rt6Vwa" target="_blank">The Miracle of Easter</a> by Jean M. Malone and <a href="http://amzn.to/22LY0L3" target="_blank">The Easter Story</a> by Brian Wildsmith.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWAL8VIPW20/VvYXJ0gmsDI/AAAAAAAAQBc/GSy715igZJciKOl-g3R3Kv0rn4d6ptafg/s1600/easter%2Bbook%2Bcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PWAL8VIPW20/VvYXJ0gmsDI/AAAAAAAAQBc/GSy715igZJciKOl-g3R3Kv0rn4d6ptafg/s1600/easter%2Bbook%2Bcollage.jpg" /></a></div><br />It's definitely been important to us to take a moment here and there to remember the sacrifice Jesus made on that cross that day, and how willingly He traded His life for ours. To know that I am loved and cared for so strongly and passionately—as are you—is a powerful revelation and one that certainly carries me through. And it's a truth I intend for my children to know, trust and love with their whole hearts.<br /><br />Happy Easter to you and yours! He is risen!<br /><br />PS - Need some extra weekend reading? Check out <a href="http://www.multiples-mom.com/2016/03/10-tips-to-make-life-easier-multiples.html" target="_blank">my guest post</a> on fellow mom of multiples blog, Capri&nbsp;+3, where I share 10 ways to make life easier with kiddos!<br /><br />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-9338163998776862252016-03-24T00:56:00.000-05:002016-03-24T00:56:29.038-05:00New Series! School Lunch BitesI've always been a lover of food and have long hoped to foster a healthy appreciation for good fare in that of my children—but little did I know prior to becoming pregnant with the quads that I'd be prepping far more meals then I thought when we set out to become parents! Thankfully, the kids have fairly well developed palates and favorite foods range from typical tot stuff like peanut butter sandwiches and chicken nuggets to oven roasted salmon, olives and hummus.<br /><br />You may have previously been a fan of <a href="http://www.texastalesblog.com/search/label/Tyke%20Bites" target="_blank">my Tyke Bites posts</a>, which will still continue periodically and cover a random day of meals in our household. <b>For now, though, I'm introducing my School Lunch Bites series</b> that'll feature simply that—the latest school lunches that have been packed into my crew's lunch boxes for their day at school. They currently only go to pre-school twice a week and the other days we eat similar style meals at home. I take photos of the lunch box food as I remember, so not all posts will feature the actual meals made that week and some may be in random order!<br /><br />I also get a lot of good ideas from mama blogger <a href="http://www.whatlisacooks.com/" target="_blank">Lisa of What Lisa Cooks</a> who, ironically, has two sets of twins! So she comes up with plenty of ways to reinvent boring lunch box combos that are perfect for when I need inspiration.<br /><br /><b>Because I've been asked so many times on Instagram and Facebook, here are sources for all the packing items I use!</b><br /><br />Lunch containers: I love these&nbsp;<a href="http://amzn.to/1pzAAKn" target="_blank">plastic bento-style containers from Amazon</a>.&nbsp;They even come in a set of four so it's meant to be! I use them so often I'll likely purchase a second set soon, especially when we bump up to three days of school a week for pre-K starting this fall.&nbsp;The containers a great size for accommodating various food shapes and amounts, just beware that they aren't spill proof! I don't pack liquids in these (like soup, applesauce or yogurt) unless I've got it pre-packaged in a plastic ramekin or something.<br /><br />Liquid containers: I have <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goodbyn-20106-Snacks-Box-Red/dp/B00881W4MU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1458798125&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=goodbyn+snack+containers&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=textak-20&amp;linkId=1c724e0e221ef8929150adf78358d158" target="_blank">Goodbyn containers </a>I use for when I'm packing liquids or things that can leak.<br /><br />Baking cups: When packing small pieces of cheese, turkey, nuts or other such items, I'll often use <a href="http://amzn.to/1Ubfbo1" target="_blank">silicone baking cups</a> to help separate and contain them.<br /><br />Lunch boxes: All of these came from Ross and TJ Maxx and are some of the kids favorite characters.<br /><br />With that, here we go...School Lunch Bites post numero uno!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-udyOOyivKIw/VvN_OvL9FtI/AAAAAAAAP_s/FhiiF7quHDsHVEogOr9fU6qHwm0ROfWDA/s1600/IMG_1641%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-udyOOyivKIw/VvN_OvL9FtI/AAAAAAAAP_s/FhiiF7quHDsHVEogOr9fU6qHwm0ROfWDA/s1600/IMG_1641%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>THE DISH</b>: Cheese quesadillas, whole grain chips with salsa, apples, strawberries, fig newtons, yogurt squeeze pouch, juice box.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wjcNOuUp2dc/VvN_OuTFrZI/AAAAAAAAP_o/06HYLEr_nUg35BDUen_qRQXs_BBbKgNlw/s1600/IMG_1425%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wjcNOuUp2dc/VvN_OuTFrZI/AAAAAAAAP_o/06HYLEr_nUg35BDUen_qRQXs_BBbKgNlw/s1600/IMG_1425%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>THE DISH</b>: Grilled cheese (cut into "sticks"), veggie chips, strawberries, yogurt, juice box.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ohmjRkrHPeA/VvN_OpoZKQI/AAAAAAAAP_k/Z6ITECcth7A3WOO_i1T_5VQS4H7ZBDumA/s1600/FullSizeRender%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ohmjRkrHPeA/VvN_OpoZKQI/AAAAAAAAP_k/Z6ITECcth7A3WOO_i1T_5VQS4H7ZBDumA/s1600/FullSizeRender%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>THE DISH</b>: Turkey, cheese, veggie straws, blueberries, cantaloupe, whole grain crackers, fig newton.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ipQcW6LbA5I/VvN_PMCl-WI/AAAAAAAAP_w/s0yyEDpqICouEmNmfHtJEW58DQQNFOe3w/s1600/IMG_1715%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ipQcW6LbA5I/VvN_PMCl-WI/AAAAAAAAP_w/s0yyEDpqICouEmNmfHtJEW58DQQNFOe3w/s1600/IMG_1715%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>THE DISH</b>: Tortilla roll-ups with turkey, cheese and mustard, bananas, grapes, strawberries, frosted cheerios, yogurt squeeze pouch, juice box.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pYFpRN2M_PE/VvN_PQPjfsI/AAAAAAAAP_0/DvAfdeWiCuA9924hHy9TKzIR5B2Lbu38w/s1600/IMG_1728%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pYFpRN2M_PE/VvN_PQPjfsI/AAAAAAAAP_0/DvAfdeWiCuA9924hHy9TKzIR5B2Lbu38w/s1600/IMG_1728%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>THE DISH</b>: Hawaiian bread roll, leftover barbecue chicken, Doritos, pickles, apples, strawberries, Chobani yogurt tube, juice box.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Thanks for stopping by and happy eating!<br /><br />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-64464289718799256502016-03-04T23:05:00.000-06:002016-03-04T23:16:10.881-06:00Things for SpringThe weather in Texas has dutifully warmed up even beyond our normal temperatures this spring, making me think our summer is going to be that much hotter. But for now we're all basking in the easy-going mid- to high-60s with a few afternoons peaking at 70 degrees. Flowers are blooming and I've broken out all the kids new sandals for the year.<br /><br />I wanted to go into the weekend with just a quick post highlighting some of my favorite photos of our spring thus far, like a pretty arrangement of grocery store blooms I picked up and displayed on a $3 Target tray on our kitchen island. Flowers always make me happy!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x26E8gSLhCM/VtpgWUG_LyI/AAAAAAAAP-o/v-MKbDtCPvI/s1600/IMG_9910%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x26E8gSLhCM/VtpgWUG_LyI/AAAAAAAAP-o/v-MKbDtCPvI/s1600/IMG_9910%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If blooms are on sale or come in a bunch, I often split them up into various arrangements and use roses or carnations or even greenery as filler to get more bang for my buck. So far, I've got lots of flowers and greenery—both real and faux—scattered throughout the house to lend a fresh air for the new season. I even saved a couple of blue-green hydrangeas and dried them out so I could continue to display them on top of my piano because they were so pretty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_IFR5hUWxxw/VtpgPE1N1yI/AAAAAAAAP-A/ug8DWkC9Zko/s1600/IMG_1566%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_IFR5hUWxxw/VtpgPE1N1yI/AAAAAAAAP-A/ug8DWkC9Zko/s1600/IMG_1566%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our entryway table hasn't been officially decked out for spring or Easter, but for now it's got some fresh decor with more faux greenery, framed photos and a burlap bunny all in neutral tones. I've got a DIY Easter banner to string along the wall hanging and some more cute bunnies the kids will enjoy looking at.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iu6VEEfLHhs/VtpgQ1j8HOI/AAAAAAAAP-c/b5Va8fA8COc/s1600/IMG_1698%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iu6VEEfLHhs/VtpgQ1j8HOI/AAAAAAAAP-c/b5Va8fA8COc/s1600/IMG_1698%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BX6zOMB7hPk/VtpgRMdPhjI/AAAAAAAAP-g/hYT7eq6uoiw/s1600/IMG_1699%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BX6zOMB7hPk/VtpgRMdPhjI/AAAAAAAAP-g/hYT7eq6uoiw/s1600/IMG_1699%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Speaking of good weather, today the kids and I enjoyed a walk through our neighborhood after their naps. They loved picking up sticks, <strike>weeds</strike> flowers, acorns and other nature finds. All four do a fantastic job of staying on the sidewalk, not running too far ahead and crossing the street carefully with me. It's a great opportunity to practice basic safety habits and get a little fresh air and exercise! Plus, the crew broke in their new shoes I get from Wal-Mart each year (one of the <i>few</i> times I go there, I'm a Target girl all the way!). They can easily slip the shoes on themselves and the kicks are perfect to wear around the house and yard in the summer. They're plastic slip-on, clog-type shoes for less than $5 each and can be hosed off and dried with a towel for easy clean-up!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYY16yC6Fuo/VtpgP7mgfDI/AAAAAAAAP-M/HG446rG6ClU/s1600/IMG_1678%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYY16yC6Fuo/VtpgP7mgfDI/AAAAAAAAP-M/HG446rG6ClU/s1600/IMG_1678%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rhkqfzzgvck/VtpgQKuOEoI/AAAAAAAAP-Q/obZCRprHPPo/s1600/IMG_1683%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rhkqfzzgvck/VtpgQKuOEoI/AAAAAAAAP-Q/obZCRprHPPo/s1600/IMG_1683%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-92PjZ0yBOIE/VtpgQVoDzZI/AAAAAAAAP-Y/B4RDJ2ruXL8/s1600/IMG_1688%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-92PjZ0yBOIE/VtpgQVoDzZI/AAAAAAAAP-Y/B4RDJ2ruXL8/s1600/IMG_1688%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kh0WED7uwpQ/VtpgQUiR8wI/AAAAAAAAP-U/3VbBkOOdNaA/s1600/IMG_1690%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kh0WED7uwpQ/VtpgQUiR8wI/AAAAAAAAP-U/3VbBkOOdNaA/s1600/IMG_1690%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LkHcP-X0Fss/VtphwL7B-wI/AAAAAAAAP_U/ORTNNUNQ3nY/s1600/IMG_1682%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LkHcP-X0Fss/VtphwL7B-wI/AAAAAAAAP_U/ORTNNUNQ3nY/s1600/IMG_1682%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qRhgUT-e_ag/VtpgS3NRcOI/AAAAAAAAP-k/xKcm8mYP15c/s1600/IMG_1692%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qRhgUT-e_ag/VtpgS3NRcOI/AAAAAAAAP-k/xKcm8mYP15c/s1600/IMG_1692%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple weeks ago, I got a chance to spend some one-on-one time with Trystan. We went to brunch with some of my girlfriends and a few of their kiddos then did a little shopping for the afternoon. I love any exclusive time I get with my kids!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrpPOBOqhZs/VtpgWRyvV2I/AAAAAAAAP_M/y5WygM66km4/s1600/IMG_9919%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrpPOBOqhZs/VtpgWRyvV2I/AAAAAAAAP_M/y5WygM66km4/s1600/IMG_9919%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mKxQ9LZNCiw/VtpgXDmxohI/AAAAAAAAP_M/KV3_84JZLXo/s1600/IMG_9923%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mKxQ9LZNCiw/VtpgXDmxohI/AAAAAAAAP_M/KV3_84JZLXo/s1600/IMG_9923%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stopped in at Anthropologie and Trystan loved their unique displays, like a collection of paint brushes suspended from the ceiling. The beautifully illustrated books caught her eye and at one point she settled onto the couch to flip through one of them. I was so smitten that she was smitten so we ended up purchasing <i>Anne of Green Gables </i>and I've been reading a chapter to the kids each night before bed. They really enjoy "chapter books," as they call them, and between myself and my mom they are getting to hear many of the classics read.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0GnYm9vA17Q/VtpgXa4nzmI/AAAAAAAAP_M/iIX4qGuXT7k/s1600/IMG_9924%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0GnYm9vA17Q/VtpgXa4nzmI/AAAAAAAAP_M/iIX4qGuXT7k/s1600/IMG_9924%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MSDFd3qsZqc/VtpgXe50v-I/AAAAAAAAP_M/xavjuCgbc-o/s1600/IMG_9928%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MSDFd3qsZqc/VtpgXe50v-I/AAAAAAAAP_M/xavjuCgbc-o/s1600/IMG_9928%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QUeR7PU-K20/VtpgXpH6V7I/AAAAAAAAP_M/3CHrlFni6vE/s1600/IMG_9953%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QUeR7PU-K20/VtpgXpH6V7I/AAAAAAAAP_M/3CHrlFni6vE/s1600/IMG_9953%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U2GWWLRWhMk/VtpgWR6AjyI/AAAAAAAAP_M/XMuxE619ag0/s1600/IMG_9918%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U2GWWLRWhMk/VtpgWR6AjyI/AAAAAAAAP_M/XMuxE619ag0/s1600/IMG_9918%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've only ever owned one pair of Sperrys, so when I saw these gold-toned beauties at TJ Maxx recently I snatched them up. Much less expensive than full-price versions and very comfy for days full of walking!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aAGdm7H8dK4/VtpgW7d7uKI/AAAAAAAAP_M/WXFcXRLM744/s1600/IMG_9921%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aAGdm7H8dK4/VtpgW7d7uKI/AAAAAAAAP_M/WXFcXRLM744/s1600/IMG_9921%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>On a separate round of errands, I made a few returns at Marshalls and browsed around before leaving when I found these pretty blue glasses for just $1.99 each. They are 100 percent recycled glass (which is what it says on the front) and the husband and I decided they're perfect for our new whiskey and coke glasses! We like to mix up a few, especially on the weekends when we do a DVR late night binge after the kiddos are in bed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2kC4QrsW00/VtpgPvuBOtI/AAAAAAAAP_I/ZL_OBR-w8q8/s1600/IMG_1671%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2kC4QrsW00/VtpgPvuBOtI/AAAAAAAAP_I/ZL_OBR-w8q8/s1600/IMG_1671%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As spring rolls on, we look forward to more outings and little adventures with the kids and have really enjoyed watching them learn so much and so fast at school right now. Next week is spring break and we've got some bonus time to spend with grandparents and our quad buddies, but first up is a day date I'm really looking forward to with the husband tomorrow!&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The quads turn four years old at the end of May, which is so hard to believe. They are truly turning into big kids now! I've settled on a dinosaur theme for their party and already have so many fun ideas and DIY projects I hope to accomplish for the bash. The kids are excited about the dino-centric day and I've already purchased their first gift!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These four sweet babies are the best of friends and we see evidence of that every day. Just this evening, while cleaning up the dinner dishes, the husband and I heard Harrison and Trystan getting frustrated with each other in the play room. Then Harrison says in a totally calm voice, "Trystan, I love you very much, but you need to build your own lego tower!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We never know what they're going to say! One of our favorite post-dinner laughs often comes from asking the girls to clean Harrison's face if he's thoroughly enjoyed his dinner and dessert and left evidence of it all over his mouth. The girls will each grab a baby wipe then take off giggling and chasing after Harrison who playfully screeches his protests but eventually lets them all have their turn. It's the sweetest thing! The other night they had a tickle fest and the girls are piled on top of their brother trying to get the biggest laugh out of him possible and he was the best sport, letting them poke and prod while laughing hysterically. Nothing brings the husband and I more pride and joy then seeing the unique and incredibly close bond that our children share with each other.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JAB047cqakQ/VtpgPFZWirI/AAAAAAAAP_I/G4TWA1wd8vU/s1600/IMG_1605%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JAB047cqakQ/VtpgPFZWirI/AAAAAAAAP_I/G4TWA1wd8vU/s1600/IMG_1605%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's time to pour another glass of wine and settle onto the couch with the husband and relax—the long week is officially over!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-55504481965947398402016-03-01T18:37:00.001-06:002016-03-01T18:37:05.044-06:00This is Real Life<div class="p1"><b>"This is real life, and I'm totally cool with it."</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MH3PfrYSG7I/VtYu--YfqRI/AAAAAAAAP9o/YhQwClYLLkw/s1600/FullSizeRender%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MH3PfrYSG7I/VtYu--YfqRI/AAAAAAAAP9o/YhQwClYLLkw/s1600/FullSizeRender%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">me and the kiddos after a typical trip to the gym</span></div><br /></div><div class="p1">I'm not kidding when I tell you those were my exact thoughts—<i>verbatim, y'all</i>—this morning when I looked up from my station at the kitchen island where I was dutifully preparing four lunches for the quads day at preschool. Normally they're made the night before but I decided to gamble with my <strike>life</strike> time this morning and do them on the fly.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hfyVQ4Uc58E/VtYu9aZsuqI/AAAAAAAAP9U/dJE7PSAkp7I/s1600/IMG_1554%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hfyVQ4Uc58E/VtYu9aZsuqI/AAAAAAAAP9U/dJE7PSAkp7I/s1600/IMG_1554%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">our cat, bandit</span></div><br /></div><div class="p1">I was slicing off pieces of Colby jack cheese when I heard a racket and looked up to see our cat, Bandit, feverishly batting around a ball that had joyously found its escape path from the playroom only to end up in the puncture-happy claws of a rough and rowdy male feline.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Then Harrison proudly marched into the kitchen, nearly tripping over the cat, to show me his three-foot-tall Lego tower he had just completed which then, honest to God, started looking like the leaning Tower of Legos before breaking in half and shattering into individual foot mines all over the floor. "Uh oh, guess I'll have to make another one!" At least his dreams weren't shattered this particular morning.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Meanwhile, Logan is asking me to look at her epic and colorful Crayon masterpiece of Minnie Mouse at the kitchen table, but doing it at about 35 volume bars above necessary and someone hit her "repeat" button. Kailey is singing a song known only to her fast-paced little mind at the top of her lungs. My feet hurt and I've only been awake for an hour.</div><div class="p1"><br />It wasn't the breath of fresh air I'd been hoping for on a new day, after the extensive authority-negating tactics the kids had exerted the entire evening before. Granted, it was mostly because Kailey and Harrison had been gone for an entire weekend with my parents at their camper in the country. (It was an awesome experience, they loved every second and you can read about it on my mom's blog <a href="http://lindaslifejournal-artlady1948.blogspot.com/2016/02/we-made-it-to-country.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) Akin to any other time the kiddos have spent an overnight somewhere and been with doting grandparents for a spell, they always tend to come home and become extra challenging for a day or two for some reason. The husband and I refer to as it as a time we have to reassert our authority. My parents had dropped off Kailey and Harrison yesterday afternoon upon returning from the camper and within an hour "it" started.<br /><br />I was going to give all the kids a shower with me in our master bathroom to lessen the to-do list when bedtime came around and I had them all stripped down and ready to get in the water when I turned around and realized at least 75% of the troops were missing. Then I heard Trystan hollering from the kid's bathroom and go in there to find Kailey standing on a stool in front of the toilet and she'd peed everywhere. All four are potty trained and proficient in using a toilet anywhere we go, so why she hadn't bothered to stoop her hind end onto the pot I'll never know. So I clean that up and we get through the shower, with my head threatening to explode the whole time from the merciless screams, yells and rants that echo between the walls from the tiny army invading my hot water.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-taLdl_2t8WE/VtYu9xcm8cI/AAAAAAAAP9g/yDWZL6kS4V8/s1600/IMG_1660%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-taLdl_2t8WE/VtYu9xcm8cI/AAAAAAAAP9g/yDWZL6kS4V8/s1600/IMG_1660%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">new big kid beds for everyone! the two mattresses on the floor will go&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">on bed frames later after paint and carpet work has been done.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYC-QDilMEI/VtYu-Kcff-I/AAAAAAAAP9Y/6_bWhRNrZHs/s1600/IMG_1664%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYC-QDilMEI/VtYu-Kcff-I/AAAAAAAAP9Y/6_bWhRNrZHs/s1600/IMG_1664%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />I figured once they were all clean and in fresh pajamas, they'd have fun playing with each other for awhile while I cleaned up the kitchen and prepped dinner. After all, they'd been separated from each other in pairs for a whole weekend! It went well enough for a bit until Harrison started hitting his sisters and being unruly.<br /><br />Punishment and time out.<br /><br />Then Kailey started launching large objects from the top bunk in her room—the bunk bed being a surprise addition to their room upon their return from the camper! They were excited about it and loved it but lack of sleep and readjusting to being home is apparently a recipe for toy bombardment.<br /><br />Punishment and time out.<br /><br />Her reign of terror wasn't done, though, because she got in trouble a second time for throwing toys again. Next Harrison whacked her a good one.<br /><br />Punishment and time out.<br />Punishment and time out.<br /><br />Then she bit her brother (not too bad, but still...) and as I was coming up the stairs to get her I must've surprised her and she tried to bolt and ended up falling down four stairs before I caught her. No punishment on that one because it all ended rather tumultuously enough for her, I figured, but we still had a chat.</div><div class="p1"><br />So basically I was <i>trying</i> to make a decent dinner for everyone to enjoy so we could eat right when the husband got home from work and the kids could go to bed on the early side. But every time you read "punishment and time out," I had to drop what I was doing and haul it upstairs or to the playroom or wherever they were congregating to handle the situation. And every <i>other</i> time, when I got back to the kitchen I'd forgotten what I was doing. Even with all the awesome memes and laughable photos going around on the Internet, I <i>still</i> don't think mom's get enough credit for all the multi-tasking we do! In the span of 30 minutes, we've already conquered the world and made cookies. Next, please.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xMkN2ItsUXg/VtYu9ZjHypI/AAAAAAAAP9Q/llhrnLAwwUw/s1600/IMG_1586%2Bblur%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xMkN2ItsUXg/VtYu9ZjHypI/AAAAAAAAP9Q/llhrnLAwwUw/s1600/IMG_1586%2Bblur%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />But I digress...back to this morning. I'd finally gotten the kids dressed, fed, lunches packed, bag packed and everyone into the suburban. We were running late and I was feeling bad, because I'd really wanted to get there on time today and start on my own list of to-do's. As we pull up to school, I do that simultaneous turn-off-the-car-open-my-door-and-start-unbuckling-car-seat-belts move that only moms can do. You know the one. We were headed inside as quick as possible if it killed me, dammit. One by one, I lift each kiddo out of the car and onto the sidewalk where they so patiently and obediently wait next to each other. (My kids are typically polite and well-behaved and adorably cute, in my opinion. The last day was an abnormal revolt.) I grab their school bag and we make for the door, where I greet a familiar face with a smile and herd my crew inside.<br /><br />On my way back out, a wonderful little moment happened. My friend—who sings in our church's praise team every Sunday morning with a most beautiful voice—had been chatting with a fellow mom who'd since departed. As I wished my friend a great week, she told me that after myself and the quads had walked inside, her friend mentioned how together I seemed. That I "always have it so together," to quote her words. I beamed but mimed looking at where a wrist watch would be on my arm and tapped the imagined dial while laughingly joking about how late the mom "who has it together" was today. Then I added that while having it together is certainly not the case for me every day, it sure gives me inspiration on the days I feel like my "together" is falling apart.<br /><br />As I drove out of the parking lot and headed toward my first errand of the day, her words stuck with me. And, honestly, they really made me feel good. Because I realized the mom who'd complimented me sees me nearly every morning we drop off our kids at preschool. I recognize her though I don't know her personally, and her child is in a younger class than my crowd. But the fact that even though I'm pretty much always in my "mom uniform" of leggings or workout pants, a t-shirt or sweatshirt and tennis shoes with no makeup, and I'm herding my four three-year-olds with barely enough time to exchange pleasantries with anyone, and I'm often late, she still thought <i>I had it together</i>. It made me realize that the way we feel isn't how others always perceive us. And that we're often—especially moms—way too hard on ourselves.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xx5PowPXWLQ/VtYu-0mQHlI/AAAAAAAAP9s/10MC9fo0LWY/s1600/mom%2Buniform%2521%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xx5PowPXWLQ/VtYu-0mQHlI/AAAAAAAAP9s/10MC9fo0LWY/s1600/mom%2Buniform%2521%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the "mom uniform"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">skechers sandals (<a href="http://www.famousfootwear.com/en-US/Product/55719-1036316/Skechers/Black_White_Pink/Womens+EZ+Flex+Cool+Hang+Loose+Sandal.aspx" target="_blank">similar</a>) &nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://www.victoriassecret.com/pink/apparel-new-arrivals/campus-short-sleeve-tee-pink?ProductID=276708&amp;CatalogueType=OLS&amp;srccode=cii_17588969&amp;cpncode=39-155388024-2&amp;cm_mmc=PLA-_-Google-_-PINK%20LOUNGE-_-TK-347751" target="_blank">VS PINK t-shirt&nbsp;</a>&nbsp; | &nbsp;Nike capri leggings (<a href="http://www.midwestsports.com/nike-capri-pant/p/548494-071/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cse&amp;utm_campaign=googlegdf&amp;gdftrk=gdfV25154_a_7c1512_a_7c6224_a_7c548494_d_071.3&amp;gclid=CIjznNDcoMsCFYsehgodjFoOlg" target="_blank">similar</a>)&nbsp;</div><br />In the challenges, blessings and chaos that come with having quadruplets (or just any number of kids, really), I've learned to make peace with a lot of things and I'm still constantly working on others. Early on, <a href="http://www.texastalesblog.com/2012/08/quad-squad-two-months-counting.html" target="_blank">when the quads were still babies</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.texastalesblog.com/2012/07/quad-squad-final-homecoming-first.html" target="_blank">had all come home from the hospital</a> and&nbsp;we were doing 32 bottles every 24 hours, I learned to accept the fact that we needed help and that help involved having other people (mostly family members) in our house all the time. Having others in your home on a constant rotation takes some getting used to, and I know the control-factor part of my personality struggled with it greatly. From wanting to tell someone they were putting the laundry away wrong or weren't loading the dishwasher very well, I had to realize those were insignificant factors when it came to my sanity, health and well being. Because those family members were there to help us <i>survive</i> and to help care for my four babies.<br /><br />Additionally, I've also learned to let unplanned alterations in my days roll off my back. Take yesterday for instance. I get a sparse number of hours each week to myself—thanks to two wonderful days of pre-school and my mom, who's a saint and watches the kids once a week—and they're typically planned out down to the minute with errands, grocery store run, work (I'm a freelance writer and often work out of my home office or Starbucks!), cleaning, organizational projects and the list goes on. So running late to school drop-off by a whopping 15 to 20 minutes can affect those plans, for example. But I just alter what I need to, move faster or cut something off the list to accommodate whatever changes have affected my day because continuing to stress over it or change the situation doesn't do anyone much good. Plus I've got enough stress in my life and don't need more!<br /><br />And with that long post, my friends, I'm <i>back</i> on the blog and hoping to keep at it. I had to take a break I hadn't really planned on but, as you just read, I try to take the day-to-day in stride and focus on whatever's most important.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fg3PCmwnQCc/VtYu-nodFAI/AAAAAAAAP9k/eo920Wby2RA/s1600/IMG_1674%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fg3PCmwnQCc/VtYu-nodFAI/AAAAAAAAP9k/eo920Wby2RA/s1600/IMG_1674%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">my "awesome" new wine glass - $2.99 at Marshalls</span></div><br /></div><div class="p2">In the meantime, my kids have pretty much demolished the downstairs portion of my house with toys and other potential tripping hazards while I finished off this post. It's time for damage control and dinner prep.</div><br /><div class="p1">"This is real life, and I'm totally cool with it."<br /><br /></div><div class="p1">Damn, <i>go me</i>.</div>Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-3022193506487579192015-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:002015-12-23T08:00:10.114-06:00Holiday Home Tour 2015It's always fun to relive memories of Christmases past when digging through bins of holiday decor unearthed from the shadowy recesses of our attic. The red and green bins get stacked into my dining room and at my first available chance, I start pulling out things to place around our home—with the tree and ornaments at the top of the priority list.<br /><br />This year, the Christmas season seemed to come on more slowly. The bins didn't make their way into the house until well into the month of December, and even then it took me awhile to get all the decorations up. I didn't use every single thing either. There simply wasn't enough time or energy for me to get to it all. We didn't host any big parties this year, though we did end up with a small gathering of friends planned for the day after Christmas. And I'm not even doing a big meal at our house since we're attending festivities at both my mom's house and the in-law's home. But that worked out fine for me this time, since I'm having a minor foot surgery on Christmas Eve morning. Happy holidays to me, right!? Really, though, the husband is home for a short break and the parents are around to help with the kids so extra hands are readily available to help while I recover and hobble around. Besides, I'm thoroughly convinced there is <i>never </i>a convenient time for surgeries of any type.<br /><br />But that's all aside from the point of today's post: our Holiday Home Tour 2015! If you're interested to see how our home, decor and Christmas flair has evolved over the past couple years then check out the 2014 home tour <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2014/12/holiday-home-tour-2014.html" target="_blank">here</a> and the 2013 tour <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2013/12/home-decor-holiday-home-tour-2013.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />My house is not necessarily a light, bright and white kinda place. So it tends to photograph a little orangey. And I'm just not the best Photoshop whiz to get rid of that completely so orange it is. Then a lot of these pictures were taken on different days—some even at night. Which results in different lighting, maybe a few readjusted objects, who knows. While all bloggers who are brave enough to photograph and share the inside of their homes want picture perfect results, this is real life and I regularly settle for "close enough." Because a playroom of four three-year-olds that's threatening to turn into the next Fight Club just calls for immediate action.<br /><br />Mom Duty, Party of One Exhausted Lady.<br /><br />Now, it's time for some holiday pics! (And a <i>tooooon</i> of them. Happy scrolling and carpal tunnel.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-532356URlBI/VnpPiEQVTAI/AAAAAAAAP64/y9wDwNm-HAs/s1600/lead%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-532356URlBI/VnpPiEQVTAI/AAAAAAAAP64/y9wDwNm-HAs/s1600/lead%2Bimage.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hNwc0z_U04s/VnpPU69jAvI/AAAAAAAAP60/h2UrNBX7OD0/s1600/outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hNwc0z_U04s/VnpPU69jAvI/AAAAAAAAP60/h2UrNBX7OD0/s1600/outside.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L7QuNla1NiA/VnpCmHO1wAI/AAAAAAAAPvE/o9uCyy6BWgI/s1600/IMG_1228%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L7QuNla1NiA/VnpCmHO1wAI/AAAAAAAAPvE/o9uCyy6BWgI/s1600/IMG_1228%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">C'mon in!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRdvuWvGJm0/VnpDFj1vJwI/AAAAAAAAPx0/wqMl2o3L20w/s1600/IMG_1211%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRdvuWvGJm0/VnpDFj1vJwI/AAAAAAAAPx0/wqMl2o3L20w/s1600/IMG_1211%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FL18Tx0uZ4o/VnpDct0dHnI/AAAAAAAAP0I/75NbpDGSIy0/s1600/IMG_1165%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FL18Tx0uZ4o/VnpDct0dHnI/AAAAAAAAP0I/75NbpDGSIy0/s1600/IMG_1165%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IKSXM8TsI54/VnpNs4GIWeI/AAAAAAAAP54/ud0_zPUDjpY/s1600/entry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IKSXM8TsI54/VnpNs4GIWeI/AAAAAAAAP54/ud0_zPUDjpY/s1600/entry.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OgdImN-MFS4/VnpDcjIZM4I/AAAAAAAAP0Q/ohhV9qjFDuI/s1600/IMG_1174%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OgdImN-MFS4/VnpDcjIZM4I/AAAAAAAAP0Q/ohhV9qjFDuI/s1600/IMG_1174%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sknQblA7Ke4/VnpDclxUlvI/AAAAAAAAP0Y/1EsSWmf_BLY/s1600/IMG_1171%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sknQblA7Ke4/VnpDclxUlvI/AAAAAAAAP0Y/1EsSWmf_BLY/s1600/IMG_1171%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rzq6N2jTFPw/VnpDeKC6ePI/AAAAAAAAP0A/9TtYnM6J6XY/s1600/IMG_1189%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rzq6N2jTFPw/VnpDeKC6ePI/AAAAAAAAP0A/9TtYnM6J6XY/s1600/IMG_1189%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNjqgfKj7Pg/VnpNwAhWqJI/AAAAAAAAP6k/ErXNPNEPyXE/s1600/stairs%2B%2526%2Bstockings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNjqgfKj7Pg/VnpNwAhWqJI/AAAAAAAAP6k/ErXNPNEPyXE/s1600/stairs%2B%2526%2Bstockings.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z5_fmapoqxM/VnpDdt8sZGI/AAAAAAAAPz0/xtSPq06-sHw/s1600/IMG_1184%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z5_fmapoqxM/VnpDdt8sZGI/AAAAAAAAPz0/xtSPq06-sHw/s1600/IMG_1184%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YBzFZr2ehro/VnpDdYcRLxI/AAAAAAAAP0U/Dl-zK_5OF5E/s1600/IMG_1183%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YBzFZr2ehro/VnpDdYcRLxI/AAAAAAAAP0U/Dl-zK_5OF5E/s1600/IMG_1183%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I bought the six matching stockings a couple years ago at Hobby Lobby for half-price.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The initials are iron-on monogram letters, also from the Lobby.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jlbYY7uy2Ew/VnpDdHB7I_I/AAAAAAAAPzo/nKGZFo8S0Zg/s1600/IMG_1181%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jlbYY7uy2Ew/VnpDdHB7I_I/AAAAAAAAPzo/nKGZFo8S0Zg/s1600/IMG_1181%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sometimes Bandit climbs onto that ledge for a little peace and quiet away from the ruckus.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And arm's reach.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qO1MkrdxId8/VnpDeT62xSI/AAAAAAAAP0E/fB1tEBEAqlw/s1600/IMG_1194%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qO1MkrdxId8/VnpDeT62xSI/AAAAAAAAP0E/fB1tEBEAqlw/s1600/IMG_1194%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The festively-adorned deer is one the husband got on a hunting trip years ago.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The kiddos lovingly refer to him as "the reindeer."</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UoFigG05a38/VnpDeeitb0I/AAAAAAAAP0M/fX_nN0nVq58/s1600/IMG_1196%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UoFigG05a38/VnpDeeitb0I/AAAAAAAAP0M/fX_nN0nVq58/s1600/IMG_1196%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mTEFraUVx34/VnpNs4payBI/AAAAAAAAP58/tkEjbGNSHKg/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mTEFraUVx34/VnpNs4payBI/AAAAAAAAP58/tkEjbGNSHKg/s1600/kitchen.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DpugRhuQf8k/VnpDjGSULMI/AAAAAAAAP0w/aqdATwvqqE0/s1600/IMG_1202%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DpugRhuQf8k/VnpDjGSULMI/AAAAAAAAP0w/aqdATwvqqE0/s1600/IMG_1202%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There's not a lot of decor in my kitchen this year. But a cluster of pretty faux flowers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and decor works well above my sink, and the snowflake bucket was a $1 find</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">from Target to hold our plethora of TV remotes.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V2CDeQzk0gI/VnpDjBdUUII/AAAAAAAAP00/9tYT3eZcKUs/s1600/IMG_1204%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V2CDeQzk0gI/VnpDjBdUUII/AAAAAAAAP00/9tYT3eZcKUs/s1600/IMG_1204%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Since my kitchen has a wine and grapes theme to it (totally not purposeful, I swear!),</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I decided to stick a mini pre-lit tree on the bar top with some purple ribbon, mini gold sparkle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ornaments and wine corks. Because on the particular evening that I assembled this tree I was&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">running on low patience, I had no desire to make cute cork ornaments and instead skewered</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">them all with mini hooks and aggressively hung them on the branches.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">While drinking two goblets of wine.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3bU_mBE0oE/VnpDjUMrabI/AAAAAAAAP04/rjU6SXbHWBU/s1600/IMG_1207%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3bU_mBE0oE/VnpDjUMrabI/AAAAAAAAP04/rjU6SXbHWBU/s1600/IMG_1207%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My favorite scent, hands down, from Bath &amp; Body Works this season.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's got hints of mandarins, woodsy vanilla and....creamy&nbsp;<i>coconut</i>. My fav!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'll be picking it up in the lotion and body wash this week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KhpmUZsHKAk/VnpSUlGTbXI/AAAAAAAAP7Q/sXROIb7kZaQ/s1600/IMG_1230%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KhpmUZsHKAk/VnpSUlGTbXI/AAAAAAAAP7Q/sXROIb7kZaQ/s1600/IMG_1230%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Roses are my favorite flower, and I am loving them when combined with fresh winter greens.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also love Cupcake Red Velvet wine and keep a bottle on hand at all times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's cheap therapy.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpzYV7LFRjw/VnpSUunJ8uI/AAAAAAAAP7M/F1abTPUAwlg/s1600/IMG_1231%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpzYV7LFRjw/VnpSUunJ8uI/AAAAAAAAP7M/F1abTPUAwlg/s1600/IMG_1231%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i-f6lyU2Edk/VnpDizXCcbI/AAAAAAAAP0s/cA5fdU9r3g4/s1600/IMG_1200%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i-f6lyU2Edk/VnpDizXCcbI/AAAAAAAAP0s/cA5fdU9r3g4/s1600/IMG_1200%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My mother-in-law gifted the kids the cute Santa-shaped Christmas countdown. Every day, they</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">excitedly ask me, "What are we on now, mommy?"&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then race to turn the candy cane to the next number.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mqt_PO9v3MQ/VnpD0alkcxI/AAAAAAAAP34/svWZwTOAeqQ/s1600/IMG_1100%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mqt_PO9v3MQ/VnpD0alkcxI/AAAAAAAAP34/svWZwTOAeqQ/s1600/IMG_1100%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOk5XIxPEBo/VnpD0pK72LI/AAAAAAAAP4A/vPbTKGMLGuo/s1600/IMG_1102%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOk5XIxPEBo/VnpD0pK72LI/AAAAAAAAP4A/vPbTKGMLGuo/s1600/IMG_1102%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OoCfmpF909c/VnpNwMNr2kI/AAAAAAAAP6o/-EhSVnkH0aM/s1600/playroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OoCfmpF909c/VnpNwMNr2kI/AAAAAAAAP6o/-EhSVnkH0aM/s1600/playroom.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ip9cYx6Z5k/VnpDz6076dI/AAAAAAAAP30/H1xYoXIyktc/s1600/IMG_1060%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ip9cYx6Z5k/VnpDz6076dI/AAAAAAAAP30/H1xYoXIyktc/s1600/IMG_1060%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Frozen-themed wreath was a surprise (and very thoughtful!) gift from my sister—</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">who also made it herself! It goes well with the ornament garland she helped me assemble</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">last year. It's plastic ornaments clustered tightly on thick ribbon.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-enAwSPK5JR4/VnpDzwGPmZI/AAAAAAAAP3w/QxrbAAPxRXg/s1600/IMG_1062%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-enAwSPK5JR4/VnpDzwGPmZI/AAAAAAAAP3w/QxrbAAPxRXg/s1600/IMG_1062%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The kids decorated the tree for their playroom all by themselves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I didn't rearrange a single ornament. Promise.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3oPcyGCDFQI/VnpDz4Rk5XI/AAAAAAAAP1M/NysNcXFMVXM/s1600/IMG_1063%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3oPcyGCDFQI/VnpDz4Rk5XI/AAAAAAAAP1M/NysNcXFMVXM/s1600/IMG_1063%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9NdWJuRsKc/VnpD0J6TybI/AAAAAAAAP38/MfG6qLVXFBM/s1600/IMG_1065%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9NdWJuRsKc/VnpD0J6TybI/AAAAAAAAP38/MfG6qLVXFBM/s1600/IMG_1065%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Their individual art boards are great sources of pride for each kiddo to display</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">their creations, which are quite festive for the holidays!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QNXNV-ekNqo/VnpD0X5Sa6I/AAAAAAAAP10/qV477_7LdvI/s1600/IMG_1066%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QNXNV-ekNqo/VnpD0X5Sa6I/AAAAAAAAP10/qV477_7LdvI/s1600/IMG_1066%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gGU_as0gKZQ/VnpSJNkazWI/AAAAAAAAP7E/SSB-liVXK6c/s1600/guest%2Bbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gGU_as0gKZQ/VnpSJNkazWI/AAAAAAAAP7E/SSB-liVXK6c/s1600/guest%2Bbath.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rJSsJBY05B4/VnpD03k1evI/AAAAAAAAP1w/EyAo-71UuZI/s1600/IMG_1105%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rJSsJBY05B4/VnpD03k1evI/AAAAAAAAP1w/EyAo-71UuZI/s1600/IMG_1105%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wgGnX44x13k/VnpD1K7CLCI/AAAAAAAAP4I/-G6jbW8fO0c/s1600/IMG_1107%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wgGnX44x13k/VnpD1K7CLCI/AAAAAAAAP4I/-G6jbW8fO0c/s1600/IMG_1107%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIrzHu0TCvQ/VnpD08ufMOI/AAAAAAAAP14/vISJPITSDxo/s1600/IMG_1106%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIrzHu0TCvQ/VnpD08ufMOI/AAAAAAAAP14/vISJPITSDxo/s1600/IMG_1106%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jghzeBdT1Cg/VnpNs_2K0iI/AAAAAAAAP6A/RJ1ClfSkMIg/s1600/dining%2Broom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jghzeBdT1Cg/VnpNs_2K0iI/AAAAAAAAP6A/RJ1ClfSkMIg/s1600/dining%2Broom.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p7ubnxQX2AI/VnpD1VU7EdI/AAAAAAAAP2A/gmOq7ZlEmV0/s1600/IMG_1109%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p7ubnxQX2AI/VnpD1VU7EdI/AAAAAAAAP2A/gmOq7ZlEmV0/s1600/IMG_1109%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YTt6cSxxmi0/VnpD2EbiRCI/AAAAAAAAP4M/BJjhCKdjYCU/s1600/IMG_1111%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YTt6cSxxmi0/VnpD2EbiRCI/AAAAAAAAP4M/BJjhCKdjYCU/s1600/IMG_1111%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4NAS6CR8l6w/VnpD2sEMSLI/AAAAAAAAP2Y/eEggzMPr3VI/s1600/IMG_1112%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4NAS6CR8l6w/VnpD2sEMSLI/AAAAAAAAP2Y/eEggzMPr3VI/s1600/IMG_1112%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1aPoDqFNoFg/VnpD3IrP0AI/AAAAAAAAP4Q/93gQa6-mKHQ/s1600/IMG_1116%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1aPoDqFNoFg/VnpD3IrP0AI/AAAAAAAAP4Q/93gQa6-mKHQ/s1600/IMG_1116%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c06-Rmv6bc0/VnpD3WVlb6I/AAAAAAAAP2o/Yiwg3pD2QmU/s1600/IMG_1119%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c06-Rmv6bc0/VnpD3WVlb6I/AAAAAAAAP2o/Yiwg3pD2QmU/s1600/IMG_1119%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cezMck8YXn8/VnpD3aGmFgI/AAAAAAAAP2w/uSh0DRti60s/s1600/IMG_1121%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cezMck8YXn8/VnpD3aGmFgI/AAAAAAAAP2w/uSh0DRti60s/s1600/IMG_1121%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JjbPZnFzq5c/VnpD3htisQI/AAAAAAAAP20/8aClVVRs-Lc/s1600/IMG_1122%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JjbPZnFzq5c/VnpD3htisQI/AAAAAAAAP20/8aClVVRs-Lc/s1600/IMG_1122%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The burlap table runner was a $3 find at Target and I decided to layer&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">various materials to get a fresh, festive feel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_YPDfnHg8-I/VnpD20hDDpI/AAAAAAAAP24/eNvGqsgGe70/s1600/IMG_1113%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_YPDfnHg8-I/VnpD20hDDpI/AAAAAAAAP24/eNvGqsgGe70/s1600/IMG_1113%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JFI9WfrZm6o/VnpD2yWLUaI/AAAAAAAAP3s/kbUKNNlx67k/s1600/IMG_1114%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JFI9WfrZm6o/VnpD2yWLUaI/AAAAAAAAP3s/kbUKNNlx67k/s1600/IMG_1114%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TOEc4FvQ-nw/VnpD4xDmemI/AAAAAAAAP3c/s5ranHTuZK4/s1600/IMG_1134%2B%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TOEc4FvQ-nw/VnpD4xDmemI/AAAAAAAAP3c/s5ranHTuZK4/s1600/IMG_1134%2B%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iEAdHpIB4eI/VnpD5P2Iy3I/AAAAAAAAP3k/XfroIhUKQOs/s1600/IMG_1136%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iEAdHpIB4eI/VnpD5P2Iy3I/AAAAAAAAP3k/XfroIhUKQOs/s1600/IMG_1136%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oN3wCcg8_Co/VnpD5eqQJEI/AAAAAAAAP3g/Id_32mgBDLo/s1600/IMG_1137%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oN3wCcg8_Co/VnpD5eqQJEI/AAAAAAAAP3g/Id_32mgBDLo/s1600/IMG_1137%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TxyH4ajQIJY/VnpD39FRimI/AAAAAAAAP28/Dz8kMLyrRKo/s1600/IMG_1123%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TxyH4ajQIJY/VnpD39FRimI/AAAAAAAAP28/Dz8kMLyrRKo/s1600/IMG_1123%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dKpmyfUAOCw/VnpD4KDLIBI/AAAAAAAAP4E/4wLRC8mmdY8/s1600/IMG_1125%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dKpmyfUAOCw/VnpD4KDLIBI/AAAAAAAAP4E/4wLRC8mmdY8/s1600/IMG_1125%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The votive holds a re-poured Champagne pomegranate scented candle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I made an entire batch of them last week and now have several around my house.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ywxWutRrUrM/VnpD40N-luI/AAAAAAAAP4U/7Spqt7k0jLg/s1600/IMG_1128%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ywxWutRrUrM/VnpD40N-luI/AAAAAAAAP4U/7Spqt7k0jLg/s1600/IMG_1128%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The dogs were inside for a break from the wind (and their nap, let's be honest) while I was</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">snapping pictures one afternoon so I had to capture them and show them off!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jersey is the black dog and Shiner is the white one.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He's our trained hunting dog—and also a vegetarian.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9vohknnbJYY/VnpNvvgdy3I/AAAAAAAAP6Y/xoh00Jcv_bE/s1600/living%2Broom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9vohknnbJYY/VnpNvvgdy3I/AAAAAAAAP6Y/xoh00Jcv_bE/s1600/living%2Broom.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DcCGEnUQfug/VnpD482hx0I/AAAAAAAAP3U/nUcOj6gnZVQ/s1600/IMG_1130%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DcCGEnUQfug/VnpD482hx0I/AAAAAAAAP3U/nUcOj6gnZVQ/s1600/IMG_1130%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vxLSbEPKMlw/VnpD5R21hHI/AAAAAAAAP3o/XYdqwDRWbMc/s1600/IMG_1139%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vxLSbEPKMlw/VnpD5R21hHI/AAAAAAAAP3o/XYdqwDRWbMc/s1600/IMG_1139%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3B7vQrWe7Oc/VnpHDfVazWI/AAAAAAAAP40/7OLPyF8QTAs/s1600/IMG_1155%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3B7vQrWe7Oc/VnpHDfVazWI/AAAAAAAAP40/7OLPyF8QTAs/s1600/IMG_1155%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AyIFHJnH5e0/VnpHCdl_mII/AAAAAAAAP4c/XA_ihZO8bzw/s1600/IMG_1152%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AyIFHJnH5e0/VnpHCdl_mII/AAAAAAAAP4c/XA_ihZO8bzw/s1600/IMG_1152%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Every year since the babies were born, I get our Christmas photo printed on a metal&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ornament (from Snapfish) to add to the tree. Indestructible and memorable.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QzXCY4XiMzI/VnpHCiX_pHI/AAAAAAAAP4g/yGUvBMUfMjI/s1600/IMG_1151%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QzXCY4XiMzI/VnpHCiX_pHI/AAAAAAAAP4g/yGUvBMUfMjI/s1600/IMG_1151%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eRhbHp3bZ9s/VnpHCk6Jj2I/AAAAAAAAP4k/mKcJtb4lHyE/s1600/IMG_1149%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eRhbHp3bZ9s/VnpHCk6Jj2I/AAAAAAAAP4k/mKcJtb4lHyE/s1600/IMG_1149%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5THhxoPVYrM/VnpHD3S7PWI/AAAAAAAAP5A/bLJClec9vOc/s1600/IMG_1160%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5THhxoPVYrM/VnpHD3S7PWI/AAAAAAAAP5A/bLJClec9vOc/s1600/IMG_1160%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9GQa2KyCKA/VnpHENa6c-I/AAAAAAAAP5I/HcXOTIHq-Iw/s1600/IMG_1162%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b9GQa2KyCKA/VnpHENa6c-I/AAAAAAAAP5I/HcXOTIHq-Iw/s1600/IMG_1162%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8CFlD0hT1Uw/VnpHDJcsDzI/AAAAAAAAP4s/4GzgW1RBZh4/s1600/IMG_1157%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8CFlD0hT1Uw/VnpHDJcsDzI/AAAAAAAAP4s/4GzgW1RBZh4/s1600/IMG_1157%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wG3zm4xmz7k/VnpHEHzpGgI/AAAAAAAAP5Q/27sBEG-HcJw/s1600/IMG_1164%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wG3zm4xmz7k/VnpHEHzpGgI/AAAAAAAAP5Q/27sBEG-HcJw/s1600/IMG_1164%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nR18chOOjoo/VnpHDlGJB-I/AAAAAAAAP48/4n_MF_PeV40/s1600/IMG_1159%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nR18chOOjoo/VnpHDlGJB-I/AAAAAAAAP48/4n_MF_PeV40/s1600/IMG_1159%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And that, my friends, concludes Texas Tales' Holiday Home Tour for 2015!! I hope you enjoyed it and I thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog and check things out. Updates have been slim on here lately, I know, as things have just been so busy for us and there's hardly a spare second to even brush my teeth before I fall into bed at night. I have no intentions of relinquishing my blog though, and hope to continue on with more posts as 2016 arrives. Speaking of posts, there will be at least one more before the year's end—<i>tomorrow</i>, December 24! Stop back by to see our Christmas card for this year and a quick update on our holiday plans and festivities.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbmH0AQWp7g/VnpNvuK-NHI/AAAAAAAAP6g/0GAo2M1dk-E/s1600/merry%2Bchristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EbmH0AQWp7g/VnpNvuK-NHI/AAAAAAAAP6g/0GAo2M1dk-E/s1600/merry%2Bchristmas.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-7944835939029425172015-11-02T12:23:00.000-06:002015-11-02T12:23:54.614-06:00Our Halloween WeekendHalloween was an exciting event this year! It was the first time for two things: for the kiddos to select their very own costumes, and for us to go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. The past two years we dressed them up in outfits of our own choosing and last year we took them to each of the grandparents house to trick-or-treat there and visit for a little while. That was enough excitement to wear them out and don't you know they still got <i>plenty</i> of sweet treats!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yHcxe5oAXDE/VjenRPTnJHI/AAAAAAAAPuk/qvvBeZbxw8U/s1600/IMG_0365%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yHcxe5oAXDE/VjenRPTnJHI/AAAAAAAAPuk/qvvBeZbxw8U/s1600/IMG_0365%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />This year, though, we've mastered going on group walks throughout our neighborhood and they totally get the whole concept of Halloween, costumes and trick-or-treating so we went with the whole shebang!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s_vc2cW-zUk/VjU8xGkVSBI/AAAAAAAAPtQ/4IO2WCZafQY/s1600/IMG_0345%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s_vc2cW-zUk/VjU8xGkVSBI/AAAAAAAAPtQ/4IO2WCZafQY/s1600/IMG_0345%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I can thank Target for making most of our costume search easy—we scored a Spiderman, Rapunzel and Ariel costume there at 50% off with a coupon on my Cartwheel app—and then Kailey picked out her cute little Minnie costume when she was with me on a shopping excursion at Costco a week before. They'd worn them a couple times before the big night, once for <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/10/fall-days-big-kid-update.html" target="_blank">a Halloween party</a> with our quad buddies, <a href="http://fourtoadore.com/" target="_blank">the Shawvers</a>, and once earlier this week when we visited the husband's parents for an pre-Halloween outing and they trick-or-treated there then stayed for dinner while the husband and I got a date night!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S0WL_Wu11Yc/VjenOiu_fwI/AAAAAAAAPtw/i3B18lbddkU/s1600/IMG_6908%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S0WL_Wu11Yc/VjenOiu_fwI/AAAAAAAAPtw/i3B18lbddkU/s1600/IMG_6908%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzy6Z1UQcgs/VjenOgo0V7I/AAAAAAAAPt4/4wNRiWj0-Fg/s1600/IMG_6909%2B%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzy6Z1UQcgs/VjenOgo0V7I/AAAAAAAAPt4/4wNRiWj0-Fg/s1600/IMG_6909%2B%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />After naps, all four were super excited to start putting on their gear and get ready to go. We'd picked up four dollar pumpkin buckets earlier that day and reviewed how trick-or-treating works and that they only take a piece or two of candy from each house—not handfuls! They did AWESOME. They traipsed all over the neighborhood and had an absolute blast the entire time, with not one complaint about all the walking, carrying their pumpkins (that got heavier with every door knock!) or getting tired. In fact, they were doing so well that when we got back to the house we loaded up in the suburban and headed to my mom's house for a surprise trick-or-treat visit there!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiUs4JZnbfI/VjenOteDlXI/AAAAAAAAPt8/Foifm4tNkJM/s1600/IMG_6914%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiUs4JZnbfI/VjenOteDlXI/AAAAAAAAPt8/Foifm4tNkJM/s1600/IMG_6914%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q7LSLlOKbEQ/VjenPDueE4I/AAAAAAAAPuE/_KnsMYtaWp0/s1600/IMG_6915%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q7LSLlOKbEQ/VjenPDueE4I/AAAAAAAAPuE/_KnsMYtaWp0/s1600/IMG_6915%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I brought pajamas with us, so once the fun was over we dunked them in the bath tub and got everyone dressed for bed then drove our wired but tired and very happy four little pumpkins home. They slept right up until the last minute on Sunday but thanks to the time change and falling back an hour, we made it to church only a little late. My mom sat with us then we all went to lunch afterward before heading home for naps. The kids didn't exactly cooperate on the latter, but they did get some quiet rest time in their rooms while the husband and I got a break to watch a show together on the couch and relax for a minute.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To cap off our weekend focus of spending special time with the kiddos (which included <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/10/fall-days-big-kid-update.html" target="_blank">our first-ever date day</a>!), the husband took Harrison to an indoor bounce house for a couple hours while I stayed at the house with the girls and had a fun afternoon with them. I painted 70 nails—including my toes!—then we had cupcakes and watched Frozen Fever and a couple episodes of Team Umizoomi. They really enjoyed all the attention, and I was so glad we had been able to carve out time with all the kids.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdpQyseqAIg/VjenPap0cCI/AAAAAAAAPuM/hK82DSLzp1U/s1600/IMG_7091%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdpQyseqAIg/VjenPap0cCI/AAAAAAAAPuM/hK82DSLzp1U/s1600/IMG_7091%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--FDZH8dbu2s/VjenPiPEPEI/AAAAAAAAPug/150c8ESJJu4/s1600/IMG_7113%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--FDZH8dbu2s/VjenPiPEPEI/AAAAAAAAPug/150c8ESJJu4/s1600/IMG_7113%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cgzk-CxjHoI/VjenPv5CghI/AAAAAAAAPuc/JiHhddNOlZ8/s1600/IMG_7127%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cgzk-CxjHoI/VjenPv5CghI/AAAAAAAAPuc/JiHhddNOlZ8/s1600/IMG_7127%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCRjrJuVi70/VjenP6P91vI/AAAAAAAAPuY/sMaezvVNUyw/s1600/IMG_7149%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCRjrJuVi70/VjenP6P91vI/AAAAAAAAPuY/sMaezvVNUyw/s1600/IMG_7149%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFwshoubV4g/VjenQZpxGeI/AAAAAAAAPuo/quk1PTJN2dg/s1600/IMG_7150%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFwshoubV4g/VjenQZpxGeI/AAAAAAAAPuo/quk1PTJN2dg/s1600/IMG_7150%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7-vQD0cmaxs/VjenQ4N65uI/AAAAAAAAPu0/Qsu1oi1Ow-s/s1600/IMG_7151%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7-vQD0cmaxs/VjenQ4N65uI/AAAAAAAAPu0/Qsu1oi1Ow-s/s1600/IMG_7151%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I just need to check myself into Binge Candy Eaters Anonymous and find a better hiding place for my sugar stash....like the trash, if we're being honest.</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-77971972019126425252015-10-30T18:12:00.000-05:002015-10-30T18:12:38.407-05:00Fall Days & Big Kid Update!Kailey was sitting on my bed in my room, absent-mindedly flipping through a book when she looked up and eyed me questionably. I figured it was because I had makeup on (the kids always love seeing me get "done up" since it doesn't happen everyday) but instead she said, "Mommy, you're not pretty yet!"<br /><br />Uhhh, thanks for the confidence booster Kailey Poo! We were getting ready for a family outing and I'd opted to try and look more presentable than my usual workout attire. But I hadn't picked out clothes yet and still had on sweat pants. I pulled on jeans and a top and checked myself out in the mirror when she exclaimed, "Mommy, you look so pretty now!"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GY7OUu_qn1g/VjPwvXQ0q1I/AAAAAAAAPrU/RPt1MbE4-Wk/s1600/IMG_6887%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GY7OUu_qn1g/VjPwvXQ0q1I/AAAAAAAAPrU/RPt1MbE4-Wk/s1600/IMG_6887%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />Holding me to a standard already at just three years old! The kids are most definitely at that age where we never quite know what they're going to say or do, and their level of independence is reaching an all new high. They put on their own socks and shoes much of the time and when people ask if I still dress them, I quickly inform them that the kids have been picking out their own clothes—with just a little guidance from mama—for awhile now! They ask to be excused from the table after a meal and clear their dishes to the sink and put their milk in the fridge. They take dirty clothes to the laundry hamper downstairs and put their shoes away in their own individual shoe bins. It's our latest shoe storage system, complete with name tags to identify each other's bins, and it's been working out pretty well so far. I added a basket to collect dirty socks because those were just getting scattered on the floor.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-peYce0VvoVU/VjPzhqcPYPI/AAAAAAAAPsw/3g_jGSlJVo0/s1600/IMG_0324%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-peYce0VvoVU/VjPzhqcPYPI/AAAAAAAAPsw/3g_jGSlJVo0/s1600/IMG_0324%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />We are all still enjoying their two days a week at pre-school, which they love and are learning so much so fast. Their teachers are great and they do all kinds of fun projects and really blossom in a class setting! After I picked them up on Thursday we came home and they helped me sort all the clean laundry into two piles: one for Harrison and one for the girls. Meanwhile, Kailey worked in the kitchen and emptied all their lunch bags. She puts the cold packs back in the freezer and the tupperware in the sink for me to wash. They are very helpful around the house and I've seen each of them voluntarily clean something up on more than one occasion without any direction from myself or the husband! I think eventually we will start chore charts, but I've got to get a little more organized for that to happen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4yUnKZQ7X5g/VjPzhmHx_MI/AAAAAAAAPss/p3V7gRRT4Tg/s1600/IMG_0321%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4yUnKZQ7X5g/VjPzhmHx_MI/AAAAAAAAPss/p3V7gRRT4Tg/s1600/IMG_0321%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HYRcZkkCxac/VjPzhkZImZI/AAAAAAAAPs0/mtZ5JT03tbI/s1600/IMG_0318%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HYRcZkkCxac/VjPzhkZImZI/AAAAAAAAPs0/mtZ5JT03tbI/s1600/IMG_0318%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />Most days I still feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants, but I still will get a productive afternoon here or there to make up for the mess. I've recently come to realize that I thrive somewhere in between the neatly organized and the organized chaos. If I had everything in a place and a place for everything, I think I would go a little crazy and feel too categorized. But if my house gets super messy or everything is out of control and <i>nothing</i> is in its semi-rightful place, then my left eye starts twitching. You know, that whole balance thing.<br /><br />All four kids were laughing hysterically and having a grand ol' time earlier this morning. When I went to investigate, I discovered they'd dragged pillows, blankets, books and a bunch of random toys to the landing in the middle of the stairs. They asked me "<i>not to touch&nbsp;it, mama"</i>&nbsp;during their nap time so they could play there some more when they woke up, because they had plans to have a tea party together. Needless to say, I've stepped it over many times and haven't moved a thing! Happy laughter and four three-year-olds getting along is worth a mess any day. (And let's be honest, that mess is the least of my problems when you look at the pile of laundry and dishes that have accumulated.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7I-uVbeqYns/VjPziLMMNYI/AAAAAAAAPs4/mtVkG03eiVw/s1600/IMG_0334%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7I-uVbeqYns/VjPziLMMNYI/AAAAAAAAPs4/mtVkG03eiVw/s1600/IMG_0334%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/144175263?color=ffffff&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></div><br />We've had a busy start to fall and plenty of fun so far. Not long ago, we hosted a Halloween party at our house for our quad buddies, the Shawvers, complete with a festive-themed lunch! I made English muffin "mummy" pizzas, ghost bananas using chocolate chips, pumpkin oranges (the stem is a piece of celery) and Mickey-shaped veggie chips I found at Target. My quad mama buddy, Amber, brought some pumpkin books to read and the kids did a great and after lunch they got to eat popcorn, watch a Halloween Mickey Mouse episode and exchange treat bags. They had a lot of fun!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gu9TDbXFlEs/VjPx4T6qyWI/AAAAAAAAPsQ/MSeCbjRAsVs/s1600/IMG_6719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gu9TDbXFlEs/VjPx4T6qyWI/AAAAAAAAPsQ/MSeCbjRAsVs/s1600/IMG_6719.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXCmGBhAutM/VjPrKKyEK0I/AAAAAAAAPqs/ZGpRSaxrbps/s1600/IMG_0299%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXCmGBhAutM/VjPrKKyEK0I/AAAAAAAAPqs/ZGpRSaxrbps/s1600/IMG_0299%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8uadj_8LmN8/VjPrJw_mJCI/AAAAAAAAPqo/sNfaR91e8Rw/s1600/IMG_0301%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8uadj_8LmN8/VjPrJw_mJCI/AAAAAAAAPqo/sNfaR91e8Rw/s1600/IMG_0301%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><br />I was super excited to have my long time bestie (and former college roomie) Lisa and her son, Warren, come stay with us for awhile. They currently live in Malaysia so time with them is <i>very </i>treasured. Warren is 16 days older than the quads, so they are perfect playmates and five fast friends!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MwRrH_JHnqM/VjPwuih44mI/AAAAAAAAPrg/2J0MESorLhU/s1600/IMG_6870%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MwRrH_JHnqM/VjPwuih44mI/AAAAAAAAPrg/2J0MESorLhU/s1600/IMG_6870%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SX9AuQN2rcg/VjPwutUk9mI/AAAAAAAAPrE/7h2PuF0M2W4/s1600/IMG_6871%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SX9AuQN2rcg/VjPwutUk9mI/AAAAAAAAPrE/7h2PuF0M2W4/s1600/IMG_6871%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />The husband has pulled out all the Cowboys and A&amp;M gear he can find in the kids closets for them to wear during the games and the kiddos have all learned to cheer at the TV—Kailey is the loudest!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nMyPv9fn5DY/VjP1U3KJ99I/AAAAAAAAPtA/jNpvKslHOMo/s1600/IMG_0270%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nMyPv9fn5DY/VjP1U3KJ99I/AAAAAAAAPtA/jNpvKslHOMo/s1600/IMG_0270%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="889" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/142090843?color=ffffff&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></div><br />Kailey also has an affinity for mommy's shoes, she's always traipsing around the house in whatever pair she can find. Flip flops, house shoes, wedges and, lately, my boots. Because of the cooler weather that's finally arrived, the boots have been pulled out from the back of my closet and put back in rotation!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-asoIzYJHwoU/VjPwvuAyFxI/AAAAAAAAPrM/6a38BxISyM4/s1600/IMG_6895%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-asoIzYJHwoU/VjPwvuAyFxI/AAAAAAAAPrM/6a38BxISyM4/s1600/IMG_6895%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DJOMSG_yyn0/VjPx451SXjI/AAAAAAAAPr4/MEtAiGpnTiA/s1600/IMG_6850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DJOMSG_yyn0/VjPx451SXjI/AAAAAAAAPr4/MEtAiGpnTiA/s1600/IMG_6850.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The husband still travels often enough for work, so we enjoy family activities on slow weekends when he's home. The kids watched him carve our first family Jack-O-Lantern this past weekend and we've been enjoying walks in the neighborhood, too. They've done so well staying on the sidewalk, watching for cars and keeping the pace! And bedtime stories with Dada is always a highlight. :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PrZvbtiJKXQ/VjPx4oX4tWI/AAAAAAAAPsE/xmaJx_qYbzo/s1600/IMG_6849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PrZvbtiJKXQ/VjPx4oX4tWI/AAAAAAAAPsE/xmaJx_qYbzo/s1600/IMG_6849.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w83Yc6VW1qY/VjPwujEhELI/AAAAAAAAPrk/aOhcQUBO_64/s1600/IMG_6882%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w83Yc6VW1qY/VjPwujEhELI/AAAAAAAAPrk/aOhcQUBO_64/s1600/IMG_6882%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="889" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/144174446?color=ffffff&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lately, rainy weather has kept us a bit more house bound. But it's actually a welcomed change of pace, since we normally get out every day. Which still isn't always a simple undertaking with my foursome and often I'm completely exhausted by the time we've come and gone. I still do grocery shopping trips, Target outings and afternoons at the library with my crew on my own, and did several swim lessons at the end of summer and attend play dates regularly with no assistance. Anything bigger, and I like to have an extra set of hands!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When it's dreary out though, the answer is to make a run for Sonic ice and shakes then head back home to dry off, light some pumpkin candles and snuggle under blankets while watching movies. Or a Paw Patrol marathon, since we're talking about real life, ha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kGKS2RBU_jc/VjPx5EKfW_I/AAAAAAAAPsI/CObqgca5vt8/s1600/car%2Bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kGKS2RBU_jc/VjPx5EKfW_I/AAAAAAAAPsI/CObqgca5vt8/s1600/car%2Bride.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most importantly in the middle of all the chaos—especially as the holiday season kicks off—is time with my husband. Our relationship is still our number one priority, because happy mommy and daddy equal happier, better parents for the quadlings! We try to manage a date night once every two to three weeks, even if we're exhausted (like we were at dinner in the photo below taken earlier this week!). Time alone together to have an entire conversation without being interrupted by little voices, a chance to sip an adult beverage and relax or simply sit together and hold hands while watching a movie at the theater are all important opportunities for us to reconnect and prioritize our relationship. It's vital for us to survive! Some folks ask how we manage it and others assume we get frequent breaks all the time and it's no big deal. We usually plan an outing one to two weeks in advance and schedule kid care with the grandparents or a baby sitter or with a close friend. I prep everything needed before leaving, like laying out PJs, setting out dinner supplies and sometimes even bathing the kids beforehand to make it easier on the folks that are watching them while we're gone. It can be hard work to get a "break" but is always worth it!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hkOitKZ1e30/VjPwvgIEdlI/AAAAAAAAPrc/9hYQXt6aFoM/s1600/IMG_6891%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hkOitKZ1e30/VjPwvgIEdlI/AAAAAAAAPrc/9hYQXt6aFoM/s1600/IMG_6891%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>What's really cool is that I feel like we are already setting a good precedent for our kids to follow. They know that daddy takes mommy on dates and understand that it usually involves going to a restaurant and a movie. We have explained it's our special time together and they always see me get dressed up and put on makeup and dada puts on nice clothes and drives mama in the car. In an effort to begin establishing healthy relationship goals early on, we've decided to take our kids on "dates" periodically. For instance, tomorrow the husband is taking our three girls out on a lunch date and I'll be taking Harrison on a date with me! They are so excited and have been talking about it all week! We'll let them all pick out some dress clothes to wear, I'll braid the girls hair and the husband and I will dress up as well. We're both taking our respective parties to real restaurants, not fast food joints, and are excited ourselves at the opportunity to spend some special time with them. I am beyond grateful God blessed me with such an amazing man as my husband and the father to my children, to teach them what a true, Godly man is like. Harrison has a pretty awesome role model!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-resxXzBuytE/VjPx4Pm1FEI/AAAAAAAAPsA/BTsi4YCB8UA/s1600/IMG_6833%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-resxXzBuytE/VjPx4Pm1FEI/AAAAAAAAPsA/BTsi4YCB8UA/s1600/IMG_6833%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I snapped the picture above last Sunday when the husband took the girls to church while I stayed home with Harrison who was under the weather. They looked so grown up in their dresses and boots! Someone suggested that was a good look for our Christmas card photos this year, and I'm thinking that's a great idea...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Onward to the next project on my list and another day as a quad mama. To borrow a phrase from Paw Patrol, "Do my best and forget the rest!"</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-70888279122565743232015-09-23T23:22:00.001-05:002015-09-23T23:29:12.476-05:00Five Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4PWMvtsHQ0s/VgN1mc523YI/AAAAAAAAPqE/VsDMgIIIpDY/s1600/5%2Bthings%2Blead%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4PWMvtsHQ0s/VgN1mc523YI/AAAAAAAAPqE/VsDMgIIIpDY/s1600/5%2Bthings%2Blead%2Bimage.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I first started my <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/search/label/Five%20Things" target="_blank">Five Things</a> series, I intended to just randomly share, quite literally, five things of note. Whether it was a great meal, a new purchase, a one-off thought I had or something I was wanting to do. But over the past year or so it's really morphed into a round-up of my current favorite products—and mostly beauty, at that. Since my blog is so full of cute little quadlings and lots of mom-related talk, I figure that a style&nbsp;+ beauty themed post now and then is a good change. And I do love my makeup and products, especially when it's something that works and I'm passionate about.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I revamped a little image to drop into each new <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/search/label/Five%20Things" target="_blank">Five Things</a> post I share with y'all—which also will make it easier to pin these posts and share them—and look forward to lots of fun products and shares in this category. Keep in mind that some of the products I share might be new, but most of them are just things I've come across and added to my repertoire and love. I only include and talk about products that I've been using for probably at least a few months and I'm never compensated for my Five Things posts, inclusions or opinions.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And before you ask, yes that's my bathroom counter in the photo below and yes, that's a note on my mirror that says "you look amazing." Because, let's face it, there are plenty of mornings when I stumble to my sink and get that first morning glance into the looking glass that I feel like I look a thousand times less than amazing. What you can't exactly see are the words written to the right of it in a light pink lipstick my husband found in my drawer. He added, "Love, Your Husband" because he likes to remind me that I look just fine. And, other than that initial glance of my just-awoken mug, I always end up believing him. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sJLYRyu-6GA/VgN2xtt1sUI/AAAAAAAAPqM/RmNuHDJqFxM/s1600/IMG_0021%2B5%2Bthings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sJLYRyu-6GA/VgN2xtt1sUI/AAAAAAAAPqM/RmNuHDJqFxM/s1600/IMG_0021%2B5%2Bthings.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>1.) <a href="http://www.target.com/p/eos-ultra-moisturizing-lavender-shave-cream-7-oz/-/A-16834157#prodSlot=medium_1_3&amp;term=eos+shave+cream" target="_blank">Eos shaving cream.</a> Really never thought about trying this one until another blogger I read occasionally talked about it and I decided to give it a go. I really like their lip balms, so figured the shaving cream might be pretty nice. It's not a foam, it's almost more creamy and clay-like and it's been great on my skin and gives a nice, close shave without the occasional razor burn I used to get with typical shave creams. I liked it enough that I bought a new one when I ran out instead of moving on to the next thing!<br /><br />2.) Keeping up with my kids and stressing out over something (or four or 12 things) every day definitely has upped my perspiration and I always am looking for a deodorant that can truly do its job and also smell nice and not fade away before my day is done. I actually already had <a href="http://www.target.com/p/degree-motionsense-dry-spray-sheer-powder-antiperspirant-3-8-oz/-/A-16638941#prodSlot=medium_1_4&amp;term=degree+dry+spray" target="_blank">Degree MotionSense Dry Spray</a> in a different scent and was due for a refill so I opted to try the sheer powder scent and this one has been so awesome. Refreshing smell that has lasted all day long that even I'm impressed!<br /><br />3.) With my new shorter 'do and my love of big hair, I picked up <a href="http://www.target.com/p/big-sexy-hair-powder-play-volumizing-and-texturizing-powder-0-53-ounce/-/A-14774366#prodSlot=medium_1_1&amp;term=powder+play" target="_blank">Big Sexy Hair's Powder Play</a> during a Target run several weeks ago and was pleased at it's effect. Just a very light sprinkle on my roots has provided lift and fullness, even on second or third day old hair. Because a little goes a long way, this tiny container will last a long time. I sort of divide my hair into three layers horizontally and sprinkle across my roots on each layer than tousle my fingers through my hair to let it absorb. Style and go. Done!<br /><br />4.) I have long been a fan of John Frieda products, especially anything in his beach style line, so when I spotted this <a href="http://www.target.com/p/john-frieda-beach-blonde-cool-dip-purifying-shampoo-10-oz/-/A-16696780#prodSlot=medium_1_1&amp;term=cool+dip" target="_blank">Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo</a> during my same aforementioned Target trip I immediately added it to my cart. Obviously I was in my hair care restocking phase, as I'd just squeezed the last few drops out of my OGX Coconut Water shampoo. The mint smelled so good when I flipped open the top of the Cool Dip shampoo, and I loved how clean and light my hair felt after just the first use. It's meant to help detoxify hair and I think it truly achieves that. Plus the mint on your scalp feels heavenly and it has some detangler mixed in for less "knottiness" when you brush out your way.<br /><br />5.) Did I mention I love John Frieda's beach hair products!? Because I really, really do. The <a href="http://www.target.com/p/john-frieda-beach-blonde-sea-waves-sea-salt-spray-3-5-oz/-/A-16696783#prodSlot=medium_1_3&amp;term=sea+waves" target="_blank">Beach Blonde Sea Waves</a> has been my go-to sea salt spray now ever since it hit shelves a little while ago. The Frieda line used to have the most amazing beach hair spray that I used religiously back when I was a teenager and then for some reason they quit making it. Finally, after all these years, they released one again. It's not as great as the original but it still beats out the million other brands I've tried. It's not overly sticky nor does it have too much gel in it that ends up making your hair crunchy instead of soft and wavy. Plus I can do some great styles or braids with my hair the day after using this because it provides such good texture and grip in your strands.<br /><br />Now repeat the words "you look amazing" every morning until you believe it (or your makeup is done) and you'll start the day a little more ahead than you were...<br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-48220152971824340572015-09-16T18:46:00.000-05:002015-09-16T18:46:08.443-05:00One Big HackScoot that graphic to the right a tad, alter the size of the font in the middle, flatten all the layers aaaaannnnnddd.....done. I'd wrapped up a new custom invitation for a client—I've been churning out print-your-own invites in all sorts of fun themes and hope to list revised versions in <a href="http://etsy.com/shop/texastake" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a> soon!—and despite the late hour, I still had a little more homework to do. Hair.<br /><br />My computer screen looked like this for over an hour...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4sIr6ZGRhE4/Vfn8Qdd2E5I/AAAAAAAAPpc/dI-TfMAGsc8/s1600/pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4sIr6ZGRhE4/Vfn8Qdd2E5I/AAAAAAAAPpc/dI-TfMAGsc8/s1600/pinterest.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...and I still couldn't decide whether to chop it or not!! A long a-line bob was looking better and better. So I scrolled and browsed some more, enjoying this....</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cmPbVcN17nQ/Vfn6xnXwQpI/AAAAAAAAPos/IBE5temQA-A/s1600/IMG_0211%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cmPbVcN17nQ/Vfn6xnXwQpI/AAAAAAAAPos/IBE5temQA-A/s1600/IMG_0211%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">....drinking this...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zVGeui3RurU/Vfn6xzTA3MI/AAAAAAAAPpI/Q2O4LSBDBYQ/s1600/IMG_0222%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zVGeui3RurU/Vfn6xzTA3MI/AAAAAAAAPpI/Q2O4LSBDBYQ/s1600/IMG_0222%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...and ignoring all this. Pretty much like Bandit, he didn't care for the laundry pile much either.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPXXcyGeSoo/Vfn6xhadIRI/AAAAAAAAPpU/5rIKlbFXasY/s1600/IMG_0214%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPXXcyGeSoo/Vfn6xhadIRI/AAAAAAAAPpU/5rIKlbFXasY/s1600/IMG_0214%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning came early and I got my whole crew up, fed, dressed, prepped, shoed and out the door for a photo shoot my mom had scheduled with a friend of hers who dabbles in photography. The kids enjoyed a lush, green park setting and I think some good pictures were had. I love these two that we snapped on my phone—one of them with my beloved step-dad who they call "granddad" and one of them with mama. My babies are growing up!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3A5M4hRynu4/Vfn8oRwqRrI/AAAAAAAAPpo/FXUBhVRqy20/s1600/photo%2Bshoot%2B1%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3A5M4hRynu4/Vfn8oRwqRrI/AAAAAAAAPpo/FXUBhVRqy20/s1600/photo%2Bshoot%2B1%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ilCHhZMJ30Q/Vfn8oSZGcPI/AAAAAAAAPpk/NkXP9OQnhIw/s1600/photo%2Bshoot%2B2%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ilCHhZMJ30Q/Vfn8oSZGcPI/AAAAAAAAPpk/NkXP9OQnhIw/s1600/photo%2Bshoot%2B2%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My mom and I swapped vehicles and she and my step-dad took the kiddos to eat at an old-fashioned diner then back to their house, while I made a beeline for a few quick errands then totally splurged on a lunch menu steak and potatoes. While updating my fantasy football line-up for the next week because, you know, priorities.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pz_ulKUq1xs/Vfn6v3v0m9I/AAAAAAAAPo4/V6sZ82Sm17w/s1600/IMG_6159%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pz_ulKUq1xs/Vfn6v3v0m9I/AAAAAAAAPo4/V6sZ82Sm17w/s1600/IMG_6159%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Afterward it was time for the big whack! I sat down like this...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U1Vw6cQqw80/Vfn6vyMbDhI/AAAAAAAAPo8/AKejgeKcSME/s1600/IMG_6160%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U1Vw6cQqw80/Vfn6vyMbDhI/AAAAAAAAPo8/AKejgeKcSME/s1600/IMG_6160%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...and finished like this!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gz2XXda6Wm4/Vfn6v51Hg0I/AAAAAAAAPpA/8Qhlv27sU5Q/s1600/IMG_6166%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gz2XXda6Wm4/Vfn6v51Hg0I/AAAAAAAAPpA/8Qhlv27sU5Q/s1600/IMG_6166%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcnUdNU1yLM/Vfn6wzcvxGI/AAAAAAAAPpM/uMUSzcK8URM/s1600/IMG_6179%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcnUdNU1yLM/Vfn6wzcvxGI/AAAAAAAAPpM/uMUSzcK8URM/s1600/IMG_6179%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gm5DvNSKuRQ/Vfn6wj2wyoI/AAAAAAAAPpE/ULXfXLh17u8/s1600/IMG_6169%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gm5DvNSKuRQ/Vfn6wj2wyoI/AAAAAAAAPpE/ULXfXLh17u8/s1600/IMG_6169%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My uber talented stylist did the perfect cut and color just like I'd hoped for, taking a whopping eight inches off the back of my hair. I'm excited I can donate it and will be sending the strands to the non-profit, <a href="http://www.childrenwithhairloss.us/" target="_blank">Children With Hairloss</a>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I got home, I had just enough time to buzz around and clean up a few things, like breakfast dishes still sitting out from the morning because some days there really isn't two seconds to spare. I dislike a messy house as much as the next gal, but I've learned to relax a little about the chaos because it truly is a sign of four active, healthy kids and I'd trade a spotless pad for them any day. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before I knew it, it was time to pick up the kiddos from my mom's and I tried to leave in my house shoes with no keys. Not the only time I'll lose my mind for a minute! Now if I can just stop running my fingers through the imaginary extra eight inches of hair I keep thinking are still there, I'll look just a wee bit less crazy...</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-79901605155017805452015-09-14T01:21:00.001-05:002015-09-14T01:26:17.205-05:00Our Weekend<i>Hiiiiii</i>.<br /><br />I know it's been a little while since I've posted and I've got so many updates, new posts ideas and even a new design in the works to share on here. But lately it's been everything I can do to find five spare minutes to get anything done. And then I have to decide what is the highest priority at the moment and go with that. Kids, husband, deadlines for work, events and so the cycle goes.<br /><br />I figured I'd jump back in with a quick weekend update, despite the fact that it's after midnight and now Monday, technically, and I really should be sleeping. You know, priorities.<br /><br />Oh, and lest I forget...you can now follow <a href="https://instagram.com/txtls4/" target="_blank">Texas Tales on Instagram</a>! I was on the 'gram awhile back when it first started becoming popular. But I had a few issues with privacy and some people stealing photos, so I deleted my account and stuck to my private social media outlets and the blog. I also started watermarking all my photos, which you've likely noticed if you're new here! Watermarking seems to have made a big (and positive) difference in the safety and ownership of my photos—something I take very seriously as many of my photos now include my babies! So I simply apply my watermark to my Instagram photos as well and you can now catch glimpses of our day-to-day life, plus a bit of creative home decor, recipes, outfits and other fun little details.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://instagram.com/txtls4/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qRzyxiLm-dM/VfZmOQtF_XI/AAAAAAAAPnk/A83wdElkXUc/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-09-14%2Bat%2B12.35.14%2BAM.png" /></a></div><br />This weekend was both busy and great. We started off with a family movie night at home on Friday evening, complete with pizza and popcorn. The kids love it as much as we do, and this time we'd chosen The Lion King for our film. It was a library DVD, though, and the freakin' thing stopped working about halfway through the movie so we had to abort and go to Plan B. And that was basically two bonus episodes of Paw Patrol to appease the kids then off to a late bedtime. We'll have to wrap up The Lion King later!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6m5IKBwn8EI/VfZmM8TNtHI/AAAAAAAAPm0/CAnKw8N9y0c/s1600/IMG_6027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6m5IKBwn8EI/VfZmM8TNtHI/AAAAAAAAPm0/CAnKw8N9y0c/s1600/IMG_6027.jpg" /></a></div><br />Saturday morning we were out the door by 10am for a sweet second birthday party for one special boy at the park and enjoyed slides, cupcakes and a fun Mickey Mouse theme. Straight from there we met up with several girlfriends of mine and ate a delicious lunch and the kids ran around the house, played, colored, built with blocks and bugged me with 21 questions while I had static conversations with all my buddies while sipping wine. The husband even got to watch a little football, though no photos were taken as evidence.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZtqMDYczKI/VfZmMvh8LcI/AAAAAAAAPno/Ti6iMrS896s/s1600/12010480_10103274969402157_1856121977954469367_o%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZtqMDYczKI/VfZmMvh8LcI/AAAAAAAAPno/Ti6iMrS896s/s1600/12010480_10103274969402157_1856121977954469367_o%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OGose_kOeI4/VfZmL_-OykI/AAAAAAAAPmw/XvFzHhm_w6Q/s1600/11887558_10103274969407147_5478912814108167286_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OGose_kOeI4/VfZmL_-OykI/AAAAAAAAPmw/XvFzHhm_w6Q/s1600/11887558_10103274969407147_5478912814108167286_o.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cAyR8vDkjTE/VfZmMyCZO1I/AAAAAAAAPnM/evOebsjsWM4/s1600/IMG_6049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cAyR8vDkjTE/VfZmMyCZO1I/AAAAAAAAPnM/evOebsjsWM4/s1600/IMG_6049.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jIu8PCIJbgc/VfZmNgAiN2I/AAAAAAAAPnQ/1A7WShyXjmA/s1600/IMG_6053%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jIu8PCIJbgc/VfZmNgAiN2I/AAAAAAAAPnQ/1A7WShyXjmA/s1600/IMG_6053%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xCDYupjfjGc/VfZmMeWZmeI/AAAAAAAAPm8/fb5OqGnfGM0/s1600/12006654_10103274969412137_6286359873353637843_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xCDYupjfjGc/VfZmMeWZmeI/AAAAAAAAPm8/fb5OqGnfGM0/s1600/12006654_10103274969412137_6286359873353637843_o.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sure sign of a good time at a toddler birthday party - multiple water bottles, the wife's purse, <br />at least one kid to carry, party favors and grubby hands!!</td></tr></tbody></table>When it was time for my little crew to get home for dinner and bedtime, the husband graciously offered to take them himself so I could go with two of the girls for a couple beers and some dinner. We really enjoyed it but didn't get too crazy, calling it a night be 8:30pm!<br /><br />Sunday morning we attended our church—we absolutely love it there and it was a wonderful service, as always—then took the lunches I'd scrambled to pack before we'd left the house and headed to the pool for the kid's swim lessons. We are very grateful to my former synchro coach, Patti, who is accommodating our crew for lessons in September. Not a strange thing for Texas as the weather is easily still mid-90s much of the time right now, though hopefully it'll be cooling off more by October.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T4F55bhEO_A/VfZmLyc2X0I/AAAAAAAAPng/_Q5sw0WG71A/s1600/12002344_10103280211162627_1332771730881179762_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T4F55bhEO_A/VfZmLyc2X0I/AAAAAAAAPng/_Q5sw0WG71A/s1600/12002344_10103280211162627_1332771730881179762_o.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hg4w1lqiqZY/VfZmL9XzqwI/AAAAAAAAPms/bQwqA7vQrFg/s1600/11951599_10103280211157637_1687889704727506615_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hg4w1lqiqZY/VfZmL9XzqwI/AAAAAAAAPms/bQwqA7vQrFg/s1600/11951599_10103280211157637_1687889704727506615_o.jpg" /></a></div><br />In the meantime, the husband and I are so glad the quads are getting such expert instruction and more experience in the water! He and I both spent much of our time growing up around pools. Myself, especially, since I was a synchronized swimmer for <a href="http://ptxsynchro.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">the Pirouettes of Texas</a> for 11 years. Then we both worked as lifeguards and swim instructors for many, many years after that. The water has long been a part of our background and we are so happy to pass that love onto our kiddos! They are thrilled every time they get to be in the water and have done great with their lessons as well. I'll actually be heading back to my old stomping grounds at the pool later this week for a masters practice (for older and/or retired swimmers) to see how I feel in the water, as I'm considering joining the masters team. But no one's jumping to conclusions yet, since I'm pretty sure my efforts at synchro will end up more floundering then flattering. It could be a toss up so I'm not holding my breath...unless I lose my nose clip.<br /><br />I'm happy to report that the day got even better when the kids took a nice long nap and the husband and I sat on the couch and watched an entire movie before they woke up! Then we caught most of the Cowboys vs. Giants football game later and were relieved the Dallas Cowboys won—if only by a point! I'm in a Fantasy Football league again this year and now have a more vested interest in the sport, so I try to keep up. Ya know, in those spare five minutes I can find. ;)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AixKJwnSpG0/VfZmN_dgsfI/AAAAAAAAPnU/e2YUpRd1lHM/s1600/IMG_6085%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AixKJwnSpG0/VfZmN_dgsfI/AAAAAAAAPnU/e2YUpRd1lHM/s1600/IMG_6085%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our little cowboys fan in his jersey&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table>And that does it for our <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/search/label/Weekend%20Recap" target="_blank">weekend recap</a>. I'm off to get some shut-eye so hopefully I can get moving in a timely manner tomorrow. There's a trip to the gym and grocery shopping to be done, all with my four three-year-olds in tow, meaning it's both time consuming and tiresome but doable! Which is why I've already got my canister of grape-flavored Spark sitting on the kitchen counter to give myself an extra boost before I head out the door. That and the fact that I truly believe the kids are getting easier, especially these past few weeks and months. The husband and I have heard so many wonderful things about the magic age of four and as we get closer to our crew being three and a half, I can honestly say I think we're nearly there. I'll have to post an update soon as proof that miracles do happen. And that the "why" stage has also arrived. "Why are you doing that? Why are you sitting there? Why are you opening it? Why are you moving that? Why, <b>why</b>, <i>why</i>, <b><i>WHY</i></b>!?!?!"<br /><br />We haven't decided whether it's effective to pawn off some of the "why" questions onto the other siblings, or whether that ultimately creates more "why's" all the way around. I've read snippets of articles that claim young children ask anywhere from 288 to 437 questions per day, making that anywhere from 1,152 to 1,748 questions for us as quad-parents to field on the regular. Yowza. Kinda feeling like that might be true right now! <i>Whhhhyyyyyyy</i>???<br /><br />More answers to all your questions coming soon, be sure to stop back by later this week for some fresh new posts and don't forget to check out <a href="https://instagram.com/txtls4/" target="_blank">my Texas Tales Instagram page</a> and you can also find me <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/texastales/" target="_blank">on Pinterest</a>!<br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-27308713575749849632015-08-25T00:14:00.004-05:002015-08-25T00:19:13.419-05:00Our WeekendIt's the start of pre-school in our house. A day that once seemed so far and completely distant has at last arrived. And it's not just pre-school. It's the very fact that twice a week, my kiddos will be going to school to learn, play and interact with teachers and fellow students and that twice a week I will get a chance to work, create, clean and perhaps even rest. (Every now and then I give myself a complete "day off" and come home after school drop-off to go back to sleep and have no real agenda during my time alone. I can't be on the go all the time. It's exhausting!)<br /><br />For the weekend eve of our foray into pre-school, we got to enjoy plenty of social time, family time and even a date night. I'd been counting down the days and then, ultimately, hours until date night with the husband last Thursday. We did our favorite things—a steak for dinner (Texas Roadhouse is one of our favorite casual restaurants) and an action movie. Because this gal doesn't typically do chick flicks. I love action. The more shoot 'em up, the better! We saw <i>The Man from U.N.C.L.E.</i> and enjoyed it very much and really, just enjoyed the chance to sit in a cool, dark place where no children were calling for me every five seconds or needed assistance in the bathroom/kitchen/living room/mess they made. Bliss, I tell you. One hour and 56 minutes of it, if we're really counting.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A2Jxh_9JlMY/Vdv1p9axADI/AAAAAAAAPlg/Oc-u58CnCLs/s1600/IMG_5646%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A2Jxh_9JlMY/Vdv1p9axADI/AAAAAAAAPlg/Oc-u58CnCLs/s1600/IMG_5646%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lBP9FcRJcak/Vdv1pG3DN2I/AAAAAAAAPlU/EIDACQSC6EA/s1600/IMG_5645%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lBP9FcRJcak/Vdv1pG3DN2I/AAAAAAAAPlU/EIDACQSC6EA/s1600/IMG_5645%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z30qoFEBWSk/Vdv1ozKRifI/AAAAAAAAPlo/14U2Y881p3A/s1600/IMG_5644%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z30qoFEBWSk/Vdv1ozKRifI/AAAAAAAAPlo/14U2Y881p3A/s1600/IMG_5644%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also finally wore my first-ever pair of Miss Me jeans that the husband had bought me for my 30th birthday back in June. I love them! There's nothing like having a little sparkle on your butt to get through the day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Friday, I spent a lot of time just me and the kids and we had a really great day. I took them to the park before lunch so they could run off some energy—and steam, apparently, since even the "cooler temps" still ducked just below 100 degrees.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NI0v8aa5z6o/Vdv1p2iT2PI/AAAAAAAAPlk/ODS1AHHdmG4/s1600/IMG_5647%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NI0v8aa5z6o/Vdv1p2iT2PI/AAAAAAAAPlk/ODS1AHHdmG4/s1600/IMG_5647%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then in the afternoon we spent some time strolling leisurely through Target, snacking on popcorn and checking out pretty much every item available in the toy aisles. They do so well with understanding that we are just looking and checking things out, not buying everything. And they don't throw a fit about it, either. They really do enjoy just seeing what all is out there and they do make sure to tell me about the stuff they just <i>loooooove, mama</i>. The good behavior is often because I also try to set myself up for success and not take them out or run errands with my crew when they are either tired or hungry. Because neither of those scenarios ends up going well, ya know?&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(I also realized while posting this that I took a photo of everyone in front of the Frozen display. And while Harrison likes Sven and Kristoff just fine, he was in hog heaven over on the aisle full of trains and cars. On which we spent plenty of time, so quickly wanted to clarify he's not required to endure tutus and tiaras just because he has three sisters!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6wBonoKjXQ/Vdv1o6BsajI/AAAAAAAAPlc/ikak0Q84JhM/s1600/IMG_5625%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6wBonoKjXQ/Vdv1o6BsajI/AAAAAAAAPlc/ikak0Q84JhM/s1600/IMG_5625%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While we opted for pizza for one night's dinner and some easy fixes for other meals, I did manage to make some pretty dang good teriyaki chicken with freshly steamed veggies and a heaping bowl of brown rice. Mmmm mmm good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u9Out9oU1ZA/Vdv1nWUTI5I/AAAAAAAAPl0/aH0Z1FSs1_k/s1600/IMG_5449%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u9Out9oU1ZA/Vdv1nWUTI5I/AAAAAAAAPl0/aH0Z1FSs1_k/s1600/IMG_5449%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Friday evening, I got some more orders made for <a href="http://etsy.com/shop/texastake" target="_blank">my Etsy shop, Texas Take</a>—my hand stamped key chains have been a hot ticket item lately! And it never fails that when I sit down to work at my computer, despite the kids being occupied or sleeping, Bandit (our tabby cat) always has to make a prompt appearance. In my face or on my keyboard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhzkcjBWsqo/Vdv1ocAb6wI/AAAAAAAAPlE/k0iFVRvUlVs/s1600/IMG_5622%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhzkcjBWsqo/Vdv1ocAb6wI/AAAAAAAAPlE/k0iFVRvUlVs/s1600/IMG_5622%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SSsB8U9vcRU/Vdv1kyhSf5I/AAAAAAAAPkc/lvYeHZGoMsc/s1600/IMG_0026%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SSsB8U9vcRU/Vdv1kyhSf5I/AAAAAAAAPkc/lvYeHZGoMsc/s1600/IMG_0026%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday morning I successfully baked blueberry muffins (from a box, don't be too impressed), of which we all ate every last crumb. Then the kids watched <i>Tangled</i> while the husband got some yard work done and I arranged some of the blossoms I'd gotten at the store. Fresh flowers in the house never fails to make me smile. And the husband knows there are three sure-fire ways to cheer me up, make my day or earn bonus points: the movies, flowers and candles. Done, done and <i>done</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-udGdjfmJai8/Vdv1k0_CgyI/AAAAAAAAPkg/9RKH2UJ26jI/s1600/IMG_0031%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-udGdjfmJai8/Vdv1k0_CgyI/AAAAAAAAPkg/9RKH2UJ26jI/s1600/IMG_0031%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nhb3JhMBxAU/Vdv1ncWbpoI/AAAAAAAAPl4/2hzM1DBdgDE/s1600/IMG_5445%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nhb3JhMBxAU/Vdv1ncWbpoI/AAAAAAAAPl4/2hzM1DBdgDE/s1600/IMG_5445%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CJoZh4XIqjs/Vdv1nUw0JqI/AAAAAAAAPlA/j3Ezso5i2eM/s1600/IMG_5446%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CJoZh4XIqjs/Vdv1nUw0JqI/AAAAAAAAPlA/j3Ezso5i2eM/s1600/IMG_5446%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday afternoon, while the husband took Harrison and Logan with him to get haircuts for the guys followed by frozen yogurt, I took Kailey and Trystan to a pool party for a little friend's first birthday. The girls had a blast swimming and my friend, Medley, helped me toss them around in the water so I didn't have to wade up and down the pool with my arms full.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4eZmvsMgvQ/Vdv3TKW0YHI/AAAAAAAAPmE/_5JQvCCrGwM/s1600/pool%2Bparty%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4eZmvsMgvQ/Vdv3TKW0YHI/AAAAAAAAPmE/_5JQvCCrGwM/s1600/pool%2Bparty%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few cupcakes and some water-logged little girls later, we headed home for dinner as a family followed by baths and some serious giggles. The kids got a hold of my phone and started taking pictures of each other, literally posing for one another and saying "CHEESE!" without any prompting whatsoever. Ham bones!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q-cPAgJpugI/Vdv1n236OeI/AAAAAAAAPk8/i5LajGfM-fQ/s1600/IMG_5485%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q-cPAgJpugI/Vdv1n236OeI/AAAAAAAAPk8/i5LajGfM-fQ/s1600/IMG_5485%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nLD6nZvUK3o/Vdv1oFmyw1I/AAAAAAAAPls/UJ_Oh7XUDVQ/s1600/IMG_5581%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nLD6nZvUK3o/Vdv1oFmyw1I/AAAAAAAAPls/UJ_Oh7XUDVQ/s1600/IMG_5581%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sunday was spent attending an incredible service at our church, and we went back later in the afternoon for our first meet-the-teacher experience! It was awesome and I'm so excited for the kids to start pre-school! They love going to the school at our church and we have been so happy and blessed to be able to send them there. They started out one day a week last fall with the Mother's Day Out program, and are graduating to two days a week with the pre-school program this school year. It's going to be exciting to watch and see what all they learn in a steadfast educationally-formatted environment!</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-67887560546632292072015-08-21T17:11:00.001-05:002015-08-21T17:15:02.184-05:00Guest Post Series "The Professionals," Part 2Hopefully you were able to read my friend Christine's <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/08/introducing-my-new-guest-post-series.html" target="_blank">guest post on the blog last week</a>, which kicked off my new guest series dubbed "The Professionals." I'm introducing several of my friends who are all accomplished, creative professionals in their respective fields and have asked them to share advice, parenting tips, how they pursue their professional goals and more in each post. Christine, who is a talented and passionate teacher, is sharing the second half of her post on teaching children literacy. Read on!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmcEtXd7E5w/VckrmHjkx3I/AAAAAAAAPhA/HDMJVn3uS1k/s1600/guest%2Bpost%2Blead%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmcEtXd7E5w/VckrmHjkx3I/AAAAAAAAPhA/HDMJVn3uS1k/s640/guest%2Bpost%2Blead%2Bimage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5rsl1SABls/VckrkpyyUEI/AAAAAAAAPg4/1u_QTr4F16Y/s1600/IMG_9635%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5rsl1SABls/VckrkpyyUEI/AAAAAAAAPg4/1u_QTr4F16Y/s1600/IMG_9635%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="ListParagraph"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">6.)&nbsp;</span>Vocabulary:</b> Beginning readers must use the words they hear orally to make sense of the words they see in print. Vocabulary also refers to high frequency sight words, which are the most commonly used words that children are encouraged to memorize as a whole by sight so they can automatically recognize these words in print without having to use any strategies to decode. <br /><br />· There are two parts to vocabulary: high frequency sight words (words that CANNOT be decoded), and vocabulary words. <br />· For sight words look up: <a href="http://www.wisd.org/users/0001/docs/GVC/WISD%20High%20Frequency%20Word%20Lists%20by%20Grade%20Level.pdf">http://www.wisd.org/users/0001/docs/GVC/WISD%20High%20Frequency%20Word%20Lists%20by%20Grade%20Level.pdf</a><br />· This is the list of all high frequency sight words kids should memorize broken down into grades. These are words that cannot be decoded and must simply be memorized. <br />· To help with memorization of sight words you can: begin by teaching the word to your child, put the words up on a wall so he/she sees them frequently, ask your child to find the word in newspapers, magazines, books, at the store. Play the memory game by putting the words on index cards. Make flash cards of the sight words and time your child to see how many he/she can recite in a minute. If your child can write, have he/she write the words on paper, chalkboards, or dry erase boards. <br />· For vocabulary words: read, read, read! The more your child hears words in a book, the more familiar he/she will become with vocabulary words. <br />· Speak to your child in complete sentences and using adult words. <br />· Give definitions of words your child is not familiar with<br />· Pick one new vocabulary word a week and study it all week long, put it up on a wall, have your child try and use it in a sentence, or identify when YOU use it in a sentence. <br /><br /><b>7.) Comprehension:</b> Comprehension is the reason for reading. Good readers think actively as they read. They use their experiences and knowledge of the world, vocabulary, language structure, and reading strategies to make sense of the text.<br /><br />· Comprehension is the most important part of literacy. A child can be an excellent, fluent reader, decode any word, or know an arsenal of vocabulary words. But if he/she cannot comprehend what they have read or written, the above skills are without value. <br />· For beginning readers, give your child a picture book and even if he/she can’t read, ask her to “tell you the story” using the pictures. Most children begin by looking at the pictures, flipping the pages and telling the story as they think it goes based on the pictures. <br />· The most basic steps of comprehension begin with conversation. Ask your child what happened in the book. What happened first, next, and last?<br />· Who are the characters in the story? Where there any villains? Where did the story take place? What happened?<br />· Use past experiences to connect the story to your child. Ex. Has this ever happened to you before? Did this remind you of a time when…? Where have you seen this animal before? <br />· Read a story to your child, then have him/her draw a picture of what happened in the book.<br />· Ask your child to predict what could happen next in a story. Before turning the page, talk about what they think will happen next. Ex. What do you think will happen next? Can you make a prediction? <br />· Encourage further comprehension skills by teaching inference. The most basic way is by using the pictures to decipher what has happened in the story, even when the text does not say. Ex. A picture of a boy with tears on his face but the text does not say he is sad or crying. Ask your child: how does the boy feel? (sad, upset, crying). How do you know he is sad? (because he has tears on his face, because he is crying, he looks sad). <br />· For older students, have them make a comparison and contrast chart (Venn diagram) on two characters in the book, or two different settings, or compare and contrast two different books. <br /><br /><b>8.) Spelling</b>: the understanding that words are made up of separate speech sounds (phonemes) and that letters represent those sounds. <br /><br />· Spelling is a combination of writing, phonemic awareness, phonics, and memorization. <br />· To reinforce spelling, all of the above literacy characteristics must be practiced regularly.<br />· Play the memory game with spelling words, have your child practice writing out words and use flashcards<br />· Remind your child to sound out words that can be decoded and memorize sight words. <br />· Have your child “write” the spelling words in the air with their fingers.<br /><br /><b>9.) Writing</b>: writing is a complex task that balances purpose, audience, ideas and organization with the mechanics of writing (sentence structure, word choice, spelling). <br /><br />· The only way to become a good writer is to write constantly. This begins as young as children can begin holding crayons, markers or pencils. <br />· Writing can be drawing a picture that a child then orally tells a story for. <br />· At the beginning stages, drawing pictures is a child’s form of writing and their way of communicating stories. Even if the pictures look like scribbles, if a child can orally tell a story and describe what they drew a picture of, this is considered writing (think back to the early days when humans drew pictures on cave walls)<br />· Have your child practice writing his/her name<br />· Tracing letters, writing sight words, vocabulary words, or creating sentences with magnetic words<br />· Use shaving cream or sand and have your child practice writing his/her name, letters, or sight words in the shaving cream and sand<br />· As they get older and can begin writing sentences, have your child write a daily journal of what they did that day. <br />· Make them write the grocery list for you, or cards to grandparents and siblings.&nbsp;</div><div class="ListParagraph"><br /></div><div class="ListParagraph"><br />Each child develops differently and as a parent we must evaluate what our child’s strengths and weaknesses and work on what we think they need the most or believe is the most important. Teaching literacy to children can become a part of your everyday routine if you choose to incorporate it into your daily activities. Simply by instilling a love of books and writing to your children will help them realize that reading and writing are fun and hopefully they will carry those beliefs into their years of schooling.</div><br />------------------------------<br /><br />Thank you so much, Christine, for sharing such great information! And hopefully you, the reader, have been able to glean a fresh perspective or some helpful ideas and tips for your own kiddos! I know as mine begin to recognize more and more letters and express a desire to learn how to write or constantly ask what words say that they spot everywhere, I'll be implementing as much of this as possible. Literacy is as literacy does. ;)<br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-62927910966613101372015-08-13T01:58:00.001-05:002015-08-13T02:02:10.425-05:00A Gym Snooze, Painting, Verbal Antics & PurchasesThings have continued to be non-stop lately and I found myself multi-tasking to a ridiculous level (kinda the way the title of this blog post sounds, ha) the other day so I'm trying to tone it down and focus on one job at a time. Obviously parenting comes at the top of that priority list, so there's that. And then I took a 45-minute nap today, which kept me from being a zombie the rest of the evening, so giving myself props for slowing it down long enough to rest. Because a bed (or couch) is a way better place to snooze then the gym!<br /><br />I was in my Body Pump class the other day lifting weights while the quads ran out some of their endless energy at the kid's club. My arms were burning and I was laying on the step bench on my back, so I lowered my weighted bar onto my stomach and closed my eyes to catch a breath. I kid you not that I flat out konked out for a couple seconds and completely went to sleep!!! My eyelids jerked open and I side-eyed the room to see if anyone noticed and then realized they were still finishing out their set of chest presses so obviously I hadn't been checked out for too long. I got moving pretty quick and finished out my own presses before I accidentally passed out again, ha! So you can see why I made time for a nap today.<br /><br />We're also firmly in the phase of "kids say the funniest and most random stuff." The quads have been cracking the husband and me up quite a lot lately. And then also just interjecting their blatant observations whenever they feel so compelled. Like this evening when I went to pick up the kids from my mom's house—Kailey asked me to pick her up, so I did. Then she proceeded to pull the top of my shirt out wide, look down inside and casually say, "Those are your boobies."<br /><br />Yup, that they are. Thank you for reminding me where I put them. Oh, and hi there Aunt Deanie and my younger brother, Ben. So nice to see you!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s4FDnNQ9758/Vcw-aXDvEAI/AAAAAAAAPio/Poaj8n9MBoc/s1600/ben%2B%2526%2Baunt%2Bdeanie%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s4FDnNQ9758/Vcw-aXDvEAI/AAAAAAAAPio/Poaj8n9MBoc/s1600/ben%2B%2526%2Baunt%2Bdeanie%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my younger brother, ben, and my aunt deanie&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qUpVBIYN9Xo/Vcw-cQC9AHI/AAAAAAAAPjE/T_e8CJDI4HA/s1600/IMG_5296%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qUpVBIYN9Xo/Vcw-cQC9AHI/AAAAAAAAPjE/T_e8CJDI4HA/s1600/IMG_5296%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">myself and ben</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3jBFjQtxRM/Vcw-cV2b6EI/AAAAAAAAPjA/ccbuAQR_6vQ/s1600/IMG_5301%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3jBFjQtxRM/Vcw-cV2b6EI/AAAAAAAAPjA/ccbuAQR_6vQ/s1600/IMG_5301%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6Vg-aLurQc/Vcw-aejVbuI/AAAAAAAAPi0/3g2mDIXUhUI/s1600/mom%2Bben%2Bgrandma%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6Vg-aLurQc/Vcw-aejVbuI/AAAAAAAAPi0/3g2mDIXUhUI/s1600/mom%2Bben%2Bgrandma%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my grandma, ben and <a href="http://lindaslifejournal-artlady1948.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my mom</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Kids! They don't care who is there or where you have. If they've got something to say, it's gonna be said! And they'll wear necklaces. Logan put on <i>seven of them</i> this morning in preparation for going to her meemaw's (my mom's) house and I managed to bargain with her and cut it down to two. It was an intense negotiation there for a minute.<br /><br />In between trips to the gym or visiting the grandparents, we've passed a lot of time at home reading, coloring and, more recently, water color painting. Logan is such a little artiste and takes it all very seriously, sometimes coloring or painting for over an hour.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_8bXqeJ7i58/Vcw6PobRLyI/AAAAAAAAPiY/3EIg6a__Fis/s1600/IMG_9949%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_8bXqeJ7i58/Vcw6PobRLyI/AAAAAAAAPiY/3EIg6a__Fis/s1600/IMG_9949%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4_LB9QRqco/Vcw6PoUrV5I/AAAAAAAAPiA/xBArgdKEdaw/s1600/IMG_9955%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4_LB9QRqco/Vcw6PoUrV5I/AAAAAAAAPiA/xBArgdKEdaw/s1600/IMG_9955%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />Anyway, over the past two weeks I've had the chance to run a couple errands and even discover some good finds that I'm loving, like these darling floral PJ's. Both sets came together at Ross for only $8!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-efebE4_Xo38/Vcw6Pgv8_1I/AAAAAAAAPhs/_pu2evC560g/s1600/IMG_9964%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-efebE4_Xo38/Vcw6Pgv8_1I/AAAAAAAAPhs/_pu2evC560g/s1600/IMG_9964%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A trip to Bath &amp; Body Works yielded the perfectly matched candle holder to my wine-themed kitchen and some deliciously-smelling coconut lotion. I'm a sucker for coconut every time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1ahnEojt0E/Vcw6P23_KKI/AAAAAAAAPiM/_320p2GLbWc/s1600/IMG_9966%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s1ahnEojt0E/Vcw6P23_KKI/AAAAAAAAPiM/_320p2GLbWc/s1600/IMG_9966%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1QmppUiNebo/Vcw-33c5XnI/AAAAAAAAPjQ/nvCxuzKObx8/s1600/IMG_9974%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1QmppUiNebo/Vcw-33c5XnI/AAAAAAAAPjQ/nvCxuzKObx8/s1600/IMG_9974%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then another trip to Ross this week (while looking for a cheap stool) resulted in scoring a most comfortable pair of Steve Madden black heels for $21.99. Done and done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4MSEk7SWaU/Vcw-31frvII/AAAAAAAAPjU/9KLJ8J4JX2Q/s1600/IMG_9977%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4MSEk7SWaU/Vcw-31frvII/AAAAAAAAPjU/9KLJ8J4JX2Q/s1600/IMG_9977%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, I couldn't resist this sweet Carter's outfit for a friend's upcoming baby shower. Those leggings are too much.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnyfrCVgnSY/Vcw-4EpwGfI/AAAAAAAAPjY/AARbz14tmn0/s1600/IMG_9978%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnyfrCVgnSY/Vcw-4EpwGfI/AAAAAAAAPjY/AARbz14tmn0/s1600/IMG_9978%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>In other news, aside from shopping or my kid's verbal antics, I just recently launched my new blog series,&nbsp;<a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/08/introducing-my-new-guest-post-series.html" target="_blank">The Professionals</a>, where I'm sharing insightful advice and Q&amp;A's from some of my good friends who are very talented in their respective fields and professions. It's gonna be a a fun series and I kicked it off with my long-time friend and synchro teammate Christine who is handing off&nbsp;<a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/08/introducing-my-new-guest-post-series.html" target="_blank">her top tips</a>&nbsp;for teaching kids how to read and enjoy literacy! Check back for part dos coming next...<br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-66783863568558787962015-08-10T18:04:00.000-05:002015-08-10T18:49:30.210-05:00Introducing My New Guest Post Series, "The Professionals"When I first met my friend, Christine, 29, we were both scrawny, skinny kids in a big giant pool learning how to do a ballet leg and master moves upside down with our legs in the air that looked graceful and not like we were drowning.<br /><br />In fact, I can thank synchronized swimming for introducing me to an entire group of lifelong friends that I’ve held close for many years now (you can read about our team's 30 year reunion <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/08/my-synchro-team-turns-30.html" target="_blank">here!</a>). Christine and I met in 1997 when I was 12 and she was 11. It’s been so special for us to have grown up together and continued our friendship as we parted ways post-synchro to pursue educations, careers and, ultimately, family and children. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5rsl1SABls/VckrkpyyUEI/AAAAAAAAPgs/4RE0iTnr2fM/s1600/IMG_9635%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5rsl1SABls/VckrkpyyUEI/AAAAAAAAPgs/4RE0iTnr2fM/s1600/IMG_9635%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">christine and her family</td></tr></tbody></table><div>When it came time for Christine to begin her college adventure, she chose the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio—where our former synchro head coach now oversees the team there—to pursue synchro collegiately in tandem with her degree in psychology. “I followed through with that dream for the first year of college, then decided that it wasn’t for me and pursued other ventures for the remainder of my three years,” says Christine. “Following my college graduation in 2009 (magna cum laude), I was accepted into the New York City Teaching Fellows and immediately moved to New York City to follow my two passions: becoming a teacher, and my then-boyfriend of six years.”<br /><br />Out of 700 applicants accepted into the NYCTF program, Christine was one of only 24 that were bilingual and was placed in a bilingual special education program. For the next two years, she taught full-time while simultaneously earning her Masters of Science in Bilingual Special Education, where she graduated suma cum laude from the City College of New York in 2011.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eougp_dCOuA/VckrkHtvnJI/AAAAAAAAPgw/GqGvPlZ_R6s/s1600/IMG_2270%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eougp_dCOuA/VckrkHtvnJI/AAAAAAAAPgw/GqGvPlZ_R6s/s1600/IMG_2270%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqPuzPnfY7g/VckrkNYKV0I/AAAAAAAAPg0/3bWGvZzEGik/s1600/IMG_2638cw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqPuzPnfY7g/VckrkNYKV0I/AAAAAAAAPg0/3bWGvZzEGik/s1600/IMG_2638cw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Christine married her highschool sweetheart, Juan, four years ago and they now have an adorable little boy and live in Chicago. She currently substitute teaches when she’s not busy toting around little Juan Jr. or working on combining her love of education with that of nutrition as she is also an independent educator for the New York-based biz, Veggiecation. “It’s a culinary, nutrition, education program that teaches kids the importance of eating their vegetables in a fun, engaging, and interactive way,” she explains. “In the fall, I will begin working with schools and teaching kids of all ages the importance of eating their vegetables and creating new and exciting recipes with them that they can taste.”<br /><br />But being a mother has and will always be the highlight of her life. “Having a child of my own has been the greatest joy I could ever as for, both as a parent and educator,” says Christine. “It has been fascinating for me to see the different developmental milestones and how he has approached them and watch his personality and curiosity for the world develop.”<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EyxPg8CTiBc/VckrkBBolcI/AAAAAAAAPgo/hw5mT_WIH-A/s1600/DSC_0336%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EyxPg8CTiBc/VckrkBBolcI/AAAAAAAAPgo/hw5mT_WIH-A/s1600/DSC_0336%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />When I asked Christine if she’d be interested in guest posting on my blog about education, she couldn’t have said yes more quickly! This is a very passionate topic—and lifelong endeavor—for Christine and I’m thrilled to share her story with you as well as her tips and information on teaching literacy to children. This will be a two-part post, so don’t miss it!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmcEtXd7E5w/VckrmHjkx3I/AAAAAAAAPhA/HDMJVn3uS1k/s1600/guest%2Bpost%2Blead%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmcEtXd7E5w/VckrmHjkx3I/AAAAAAAAPhA/HDMJVn3uS1k/s1600/guest%2Bpost%2Blead%2Bimage.jpg" /></a></div><b>My Passion for Education and Teaching Children Literacy</b><br />By Christine Muldoon<br /><br />My first teaching job was at PS146 in East Harlem. I was originally hired as a Bilingual Special Education teacher and aside from teaching in a class room, my job was to work with another bilingual educator (another teaching fellow in my small group of bilingual educators) to develop the transitional bilingual program at PS146. <br /><br />At the time we had no idea what that meant and neither did our principal, so we flew by the seat of our pants the first year and tried our best to create a functional program, interact and translate with Spanish-speaking parents (70% of the school population was Hispanic and only three teachers spoke Spanish fluently). And, of course, be the best teachers we could be to a group of disadvantaged kids in East Harlem. <br /><br />My first year I taught Kindergarten, followed by teaching first grade for the next three years. I was in a co-teaching classroom for three years as well—which means there are two teachers in a classroom. One is a general education teacher, and the other a special education teacher. Legally, in a co-teaching classroom, 60% of the students are general education and 40% special education, and the classroom caps at 28 students. Unfortunately, in a D-rated school in East Harlem, this is hardly the case and many general education students <i>should</i> be special education and vice versa. <br /><br />In my fourth year of teaching I was moved to a self-contained classroom. There are 12 special education students, one special education teacher, and one to three para-professionals. For my fifth year I switched to a private school, also in East Harlem, and a school just for special education students where I taught 1st grade again. Currently I am substitute teaching for two private schools in Chicago, and I work with mostly pre-K through 2nd grade.<br /><br />There are many different theories on how to teach literacy and each school or daycare uses a different curriculum or method. It is very easy to get swept up in the waves of information the Internet can provide. I do not consider myself a literacy expert by any means; however, I have six years of teaching experience, four in a New York City public school and two in private schools. I’ll offer my point of view and hope you find it useful.<br /><br />I believe that although some methods differ, there are many basic steps parents can take to adequately prepare their little ones for school and get them started on a successful path to literacy. In order to fully understand the purpose behind these educational activities, it is important to comprehend the building blocks to literacy.<br /><br /><b>Literacy begins at a young age, it can even begin as early as infancy. </b>The concept of literacy looks different at each developmental stage of a child and differs from child to child. The following are a few basic characteristics of literacy:<br /><br /><b>1. Print Awareness:</b> this is the understanding that the squiggly lines on a page represent spoken language.<br /><br /><b>2. Sounds of Speech:</b> In order to understand a spoken language, a child must be able to hear the sounds and words that make up the language. <br /><br /><b>3. Phonemic Awareness:</b> the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) into spoken words. Before a child can read print, he/she must know how the sounds in words work. <br /><br /><b>4. Fluency:</b> the ability to read a text quickly, accurately, and with expression. Fluency is the key to connecting word recognition with comprehension. <br /><br /><b>5. Phonics:</b> the idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language<br /><br /><b>6. Vocabulary:</b> Beginning readers must use the words they hear orally to make sense of the words they see in print. Vocabulary also refers to high frequency sight words, which are the most commonly used words that children are encouraged to memorize as a whole by sight so they can automatically recognize these words in print without having to use any strategies to decode. <br /><br /><b>7. Comprehension:</b> Comprehension is the reason for reading. Good readers think actively as they read. They use their experiences and knowledge of the world, vocabulary, language structure, and reading strategies to make sense of the text.<br /><br /><b>8. Spelling: </b>the understanding that words are made up of separate speech sounds (phonemes) and that letters represent those sounds. <br /><br /><b>9. Writing:</b> writing is a complex task that balances purpose, audience, ideas and organization with the mechanics of writing (sentence structure, word choice, spelling). <br /><br /><br />Now, as parents, how can we apply these characteristics in a practical manner on a daily basis? For many of these characteristics, the application can be as simple as conversations with your little one (no matter how young) or reinforcement of activities you probably already do during the day. Below are a few examples of how you can apply the literacy characteristics on a daily basis and what it would look like.<br /><br /><b>1. Print Awareness:</b> this is the understanding that the squiggly lines on a page represent spoken language.<br /><br /><ul><li>pointing to the words on a page as you read to your child</li><li>asking your child where are the pictures, where are the words on a page</li><li>asking your child where is the title of the book</li><li>having your child point to (or show your child) words in a magazine, newspaper, signs at the grocery store, signs on doors, etc.</li></ul><br /><b>2. Sounds of Speech:</b> In order to understand a spoken language, a child must be able to hear the sounds and words that make up the language. <br /><br /><ul><li>modeling appropriate conversation for your child, speaking in full sentences (even to babies)</li><li>peaking with intonation, expression, and using adult words; even if you think your child will not understand them, they are getting exposure to those words at an early age.</li></ul><br />*Most teachers would agree that phonemic awareness is <i>extremely</i> important in regards to literacy. Most kids will come into Kindergarten knowing their letters but not knowing that letters make <i>sounds</i> and the sounds are what we use to create words. <br /><br /><b>3. Phonemic Awareness:</b> the ability to hear, indentify, and manipulate, individual sounds (phonemes) into spoken words. Before a child can read print, he/she must know how the sounds in words work. <br /><br /><ul><li>teach your child that a letter has a name AND a sound. ie: “Yes, that is the letter “T” it makes the /t/ sound.</li><li>ask your child what SOUND do the letters make</li><li>model the correct way to sound out the letters. ie: the letter P makes the /p/ sound, not /pu/</li><li>look for other objects that begin with the same sound as the letter you are studying. ie: “What else starts with the ‘s’ sound? Snake, soup, sad, etc</li><li>for older students have them underline, color, or circle words that begin with the same letter sound</li><li>start with your child’s name. ie: Harrison starts with the “h” sound, what else starts with that sound?</li><li>begin teaching sounds with basic consonants and short vowel soundsthe first. Most kids don’t move onto diagraphs, blends, or long vowel sounds until the end of 1st grade</li></ul><br /><b>4. Fluency:</b> the ability to read a text quickly, accurately, and with expression. Fluency is the key to connecting word recognition with comprehension. <br /><br /><ul><li>once a child is beginning to read, fluency is taught by encouraging the child to use his/her finger to follow the words as they read. This is called: tracking</li><li>as a child becomes a better reader, the finger is removed and the child is taught to track the words with his/her eyes.</li><li>you can model fluency by tracking the words as you read to your child. Fluency also includes reading with expression and intonation. ie: use expression when reading a sentence that ends with an exclamation mark or question mark.</li><li>for young readers you can use popsicle sticks as a “pointer”</li><li>if you have access to a big book, use a pointer stick and have the child come up to the book and point as you read.</li></ul><br /><b>5. Phonics:</b> the idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language<br /><br /><ul><li>the goal of phonics is to teach kids to decode words (sound words out, or blend sounds together to read a word).</li><li>similar to phonemic awareness, ask your child to identify the sounds the letters make in simple words such as: cat, hat, pat, etc.</li><li>use Dr. Seuss books to begin teaching sounding out words</li><li>use fingers to “tap out” sounds in words. ie: when sounding out the word “cat” hold together thumb and forefinger and clearly say the sound /c/, then hold together thumb and middle finger and say the sound /a/, then hold together thumb and ring finger and say the sound /t/. c-a-t. This is a full sensory (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) approach because it helps kids break words down into each individual sound using their hands (kinesthetic), saying the sounds (auditory), seeing the separation of sounds with the tapping of each finger (visual).</li><li>for more information on “tapping” words you can go to www.fundations.com It is an entire literacy curriculum based on decoding words using the tapping method.</li></ul><br />-----stay tuned for part 2!<br /><br />I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks to Christine for sharing such insightful information and tips! I'll be back soon with part two, the completion of this post, and also have a few other guest posts lined up for my "The Professionals" series that I hope to continue into this fall!<br /><br />Thanks for reading :)<br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" /></div>Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-27512669364406929412015-08-10T01:51:00.002-05:002015-08-10T01:52:15.865-05:00My Synchro Team Turns 30<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="text-align: left;">There's no doubt in my mind that each of my four kids will be involved in sports. They'll be able to try a variety of activities—starting soon, even, now that they're getting older (3) and bigger!—and hopefully they'll find something they enjoy</span>, get excited about or display a natural talent for. But more importantly, I want them to learn all the things that being involved in a sport has taught me over the years.</div><br />Swimming certainly played a very huge and impactive role on my life, ever since the age of seven. That's the year I joined <a href="http://ptxsynchro.squarespace.com/about-ptx/" target="_blank">The Pirouettes of Texas</a>&nbsp;(PTX),&nbsp;a synchronized swimming team that was then based in Irving. I loved the water and one of our neighbors at the time saw a flyer for the team then immediately brought it to my mom and insisted I needed to try it out! I truly did enjoy my first practice with them, but I thought the caps and nose clips were pretty weird. And the goggles they made back then tended to take up half your face and make you look like a bug, ha. But it didn't take long before I got on the band wagon with all the getup and was swimming away like a fish.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWa9-TM8cU0/VchE7uas0vI/AAAAAAAAPew/B6Ixrzp0nlI/s1600/ptx%2B8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWa9-TM8cU0/VchE7uas0vI/AAAAAAAAPew/B6Ixrzp0nlI/s1600/ptx%2B8.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rKjGWgIkgkE/VchE6NTELII/AAAAAAAAPfI/_lbC7TT96fs/s1600/ptx%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rKjGWgIkgkE/VchE6NTELII/AAAAAAAAPfI/_lbC7TT96fs/s1600/ptx%2B4.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fHZkOjdt9A4/VchE68MhIMI/AAAAAAAAPe0/19tWQFlfwNE/s1600/ptx%2B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fHZkOjdt9A4/VchE68MhIMI/AAAAAAAAPe0/19tWQFlfwNE/s1600/ptx%2B7.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Swimming with my team earned me several life long best friends, many of whom I've now known for 23 years—including my coaches! I learned how to apply myself, set goals to accomplish, work hard, stay dedicated to the cause, be a member of the team, push myself both mentally and physically and support those around me as well as display good sportsmanship and set an example for younger swimmers coming behind me.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJjIzNr-O8Q/VchE6jSutTI/AAAAAAAAPfA/3verkCzPXYs/s1600/ptx%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJjIzNr-O8Q/VchE6jSutTI/AAAAAAAAPfA/3verkCzPXYs/s1600/ptx%2B5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEb7hDBWrts/VchFqGjsdyI/AAAAAAAAPfQ/-_0kebVvYYk/s1600/ptx%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEb7hDBWrts/VchFqGjsdyI/AAAAAAAAPfQ/-_0kebVvYYk/s1600/ptx%2B1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>It was hard for me to leave the sport behind, I was nearly 18 and ad suffered a slipped disc in my lower back that caused me a lot of pain and made day-to-day life pretty difficult. After much therapy and many treatments at Scottish Rite hospital, I finally made a fair recovery but it came at the price of stopping swimming. The doctors warned me that if I didn't let my back recover, I would end up having to get my vertebrae fused together. Eek! I had harbored hopes of swimming through college or possibly even doing more, but I decided to take a different route and pursue my college education in Texas and follow my second passion of journalism. Thankfully, I've had minimal back issues ever since finishing treatment and even survived my quadruplet pregnancy fairly well—the extensive bed rest probably kept a lot of the stress off my back, I figure.<br /><br />Through all those years of swimming, I learned a lot about myself and certainly grew as a person and a teammate. It helped me become strong, independent, strong willed and driven. And, like I mentioned above, I am still best friends with pretty much all my teammates and many of us live within close distance of each other today! We all have regular get-togethers and coordinate meet-ups when everyone's in town for special events, holidays and such. It's such a special bond and one that we will always share!<br /><br />Celebrating the 30 year anniversary for PTX was such a fun, special night! We caught up with swimmers and coaches, both former and new, enjoyed watching photos from over the years, ate, drank and laughed together, honored several former PTX members by inducting them into the team hall of fame and I believe there were a least a few hundred selfies snapped.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ynLJesC-wUw/VchE7mPApCI/AAAAAAAAPe4/YApm--RY_Ss/s1600/ptx%2Breunion%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ynLJesC-wUw/VchE7mPApCI/AAAAAAAAPe4/YApm--RY_Ss/s1600/ptx%2Breunion%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all the swimmers and coaches (both former and current) &nbsp;in attendance for the 30th anny party</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kedx5s9Mf7Y/VchIgVbVxsI/AAAAAAAAPfg/LiR5EJE4zQM/s1600/IMG_5273%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kedx5s9Mf7Y/VchIgVbVxsI/AAAAAAAAPfg/LiR5EJE4zQM/s1600/IMG_5273%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my longtime coach, megan (left), and my mom!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AP766xSZDmM/VchIgAl2CYI/AAAAAAAAPfk/GOlCf1zr0UY/s1600/DSCN0660%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AP766xSZDmM/VchIgAl2CYI/AAAAAAAAPfk/GOlCf1zr0UY/s1600/DSCN0660%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">myself, my mom and former ptx head coach patti—who founded the team in 1985</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQPAJMH5fHY/VchIg1247xI/AAAAAAAAPf4/mzCMiIH4qng/s1600/IMG_5274%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQPAJMH5fHY/VchIg1247xI/AAAAAAAAPf4/mzCMiIH4qng/s1600/IMG_5274%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">myself and megan</td></tr></tbody></table>A couple years ago, we teamed up again to compete in the Masters synchronized swimming championship in 2008, which was held in Las Vegas that year. (A big part of what motivated us to compete, a trip to Sin City!) We ended up taking the gold and it was so awesome to be back in the pool swimming with my girls again, and we hope to do that again in the coming years.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i6tCCnPEGMk/VchE6M3x_RI/AAAAAAAAPec/6v-pcwPgpgg/s1600/ptx%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i6tCCnPEGMk/VchE6M3x_RI/AAAAAAAAPec/6v-pcwPgpgg/s1600/ptx%2B2.jpg" /></a></div><br />Now with careers and jobs, spouses, kids and family, we've all certainly gotten busy with life but still keep in touch regularly and talk online just about every single day. We support each other through all the challenges and celebrations in life from near and far and I cherish my teammates and my beloved sport so much!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YtNPYKyzDlA/VchE6OwklbI/AAAAAAAAPfM/0jIABOx3jsw/s1600/ptx%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YtNPYKyzDlA/VchE6OwklbI/AAAAAAAAPfM/0jIABOx3jsw/s1600/ptx%2B3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s42Xk9KtwOY/VchE6ns1FaI/AAAAAAAAPfE/uqrrmxPC3v0/s1600/ptx%2B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s42Xk9KtwOY/VchE6ns1FaI/AAAAAAAAPfE/uqrrmxPC3v0/s1600/ptx%2B6.jpg" /></a></div><br />Here's a video I worked (many long hours) on and assembled for the official 30 year anniversary party this past weekend. It brought back a lot of memories and laughs, and you can also get a good look at the sport of synchro and the history of our team! Go Big Red!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/135815878" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="https://vimeo.com/135815878">PTX Synchronized Swimming Team 30 Year Anniversary Tribute</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user4054753">Texas Take</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGmxYpKnJaE/VchIg_GtyCI/AAAAAAAAPfw/NrzYy0ZjHUI/s1600/IMG_5276%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGmxYpKnJaE/VchIg_GtyCI/AAAAAAAAPfw/NrzYy0ZjHUI/s1600/IMG_5276%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />I wore <a href="http://www.target.com/p/illusion-lace-maxi-dress-xhilaration/-/A-16751407#prodSlot=medium_1_9&amp;term=lace+dress+exhilaration" target="_blank">a red dress</a> in support of my team—our colors are red and white—and loved every second of such a special evening. (The husband unfortunately couldn't attend since he was on quad duty that night and did an awesome job of keeping the kids. They all ended up in the front yard running through the sprinklers before showers and a freshly cooked meal he made all himself!)<br /><br />Needless to say, I am grateful for swimming, for synchro, my awesome coaches and my team. I wouldn't be who I am today without them! May my love of the water never end!<br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-30985638636863107472015-07-27T02:24:00.002-05:002015-07-27T02:24:27.987-05:00Our WeekendWe had one seriously action-packed weekend and I am <i>t i r e d</i>. In this case, though, I think it's a sign of a successful Friday-to-Sunday series of events!<br /><br />The husband was home with us Friday so that made for a great start because I was already feeling a little rundown from the week—the quads keep me busy busy busy! We all slept in late, kids included, and chowed down on a leisurely breakfast around 10:30am. Even better, the husband got everyone downstairs and food made while I snoozed for an extra 30 minutes and got to wake up slowly without anyone screaming at me or crawling all over my bed. Bliss! It's so sweet when he does little things like that. Even though he had a crazy busy week at work and gets just as worn down as I do, he knows I need a little break from the kids and he looks forward to spending time with them.<br /><br />About lunchtime, we split up and each took two of the kids to run some quick errands and grab some grub. The husband had Harrison and Logan and went to get hair cuts (just for the guys!). Logan loves to sit and watch them get their hair trimmed and Harrison is such a big boy with the whole process and sits in his own chairs while dada sits in a chair next to him and they get their haircuts together. Meanwhile, I took Kailey and Trystan to Chick-Fil-A for a quick lunch and playtime then on to the grocery store to grab supplies for a family gathering the next day.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jgxa-ECuWtk/VbXUQN21qeI/AAAAAAAAPZU/Js2P564AxHQ/s1600/IMG_5026%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jgxa-ECuWtk/VbXUQN21qeI/AAAAAAAAPZU/Js2P564AxHQ/s1600/IMG_5026%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />Later that afternoon, we all got pretty and the girls had fun picking out any dress they wanted from their closet. It was time to make our way to the husband's dad's retirement party. The quads knew it was a party for granddaddy and were all too excited to come help him celebrate! It was at a rustic BBQ joint that had a live band performing during part of the evening and the girls shared no shortage of twirls in their frocks and grazed and ate throughout the night. We brought loads of coloring books, look and find books and grandmommy brought out glow sticks as well. Meanwhile, myself and the husband both got to enjoy a few adult beverages and catch up with family and friends!<br /><br />I was rocking a side braid on some serious three-day hair, but it felt good to look (and feel) like myself again. I've been sick for almost 10 weeks with repeated viral infections after going through my first bout with strep throat at the end of May. I did two rounds of antibiotics, tons of meds and allergy meds, and got a second steroid dose when I ended up at the ER two weeks ago. At first they thought I had meningitis but additional blood tests showed that wasn't the case and it was just viral. My blood work for mono, strep and other issues all came back normal as well. Thankfully, I seem to have finally made a full recovery and gotten back to feeling like myself!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vMKfaO-OEY/VbXUQD6V_5I/AAAAAAAAPZA/jOh419AhwIE/s1600/IMG_5029%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vMKfaO-OEY/VbXUQD6V_5I/AAAAAAAAPZA/jOh419AhwIE/s1600/IMG_5029%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mNF7Mugn-xU/VbXUSvLeWGI/AAAAAAAAPaw/F5qCLLcFM6I/s1600/IMG_5045%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mNF7Mugn-xU/VbXUSvLeWGI/AAAAAAAAPaw/F5qCLLcFM6I/s1600/IMG_5045%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-enZ2QNm5zBo/VbXUSkG86XI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/tFRwv4yZtv8/s1600/IMG_5046%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-enZ2QNm5zBo/VbXUSkG86XI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/tFRwv4yZtv8/s1600/IMG_5046%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">just a quad momma and her babies!!!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iv8di6B-buk/VbXUQNSjCaI/AAAAAAAAPZM/oG2MPct60F0/s1600/IMG_5031%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iv8di6B-buk/VbXUQNSjCaI/AAAAAAAAPZM/oG2MPct60F0/s1600/IMG_5031%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">harrison and aunt whitney</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tbKPTO0TuyU/VbXUQ_DHV6I/AAAAAAAAPa8/Yk4eGCKroF8/s1600/IMG_5033%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tbKPTO0TuyU/VbXUQ_DHV6I/AAAAAAAAPa8/Yk4eGCKroF8/s1600/IMG_5033%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">twirling girls!&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr-9INNiBeQ/VbXURDr3zKI/AAAAAAAAPZg/DA3EI7ar9_U/s1600/IMG_5036%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr-9INNiBeQ/VbXURDr3zKI/AAAAAAAAPZg/DA3EI7ar9_U/s1600/IMG_5036%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">silly dada and kailey</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kz85iTb4ylM/VbXURfoeCRI/AAAAAAAAPZk/OLT_WDL3hu8/s1600/IMG_5038%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kz85iTb4ylM/VbXURfoeCRI/AAAAAAAAPZk/OLT_WDL3hu8/s1600/IMG_5038%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">granddaddy and trystan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDbScXtee2w/VbXUR1tekpI/AAAAAAAAPZs/bOwOqE77wQI/s1600/IMG_5043%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDbScXtee2w/VbXUR1tekpI/AAAAAAAAPZs/bOwOqE77wQI/s1600/IMG_5043%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kailey and her cousin, hailey</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We didn't even get home until 11pm, but the kids were doing just fine because they'd picked up some helium balloons before we departed from the restaurant. Naturally, this led to a full-on balloon war in the suburban on the drive home and tons of hilarious laughs and giggles. I was completely happy with that versus tired, cranky meltdowns!<br /><br />Saturday greeted us a little earlier as the husband and I rushed downstairs to speed clean the house before his older brother and his family arrived, as well as the grandparents. It was a full house and everyone really enjoyed it! We had tons of food and I made <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/213217363584988420/" target="_blank">these deliciously fun sprinkle cookies</a>&nbsp;as well as <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/213217363584981343/" target="_blank">this honey garlic crock pot chicken</a>. We fed a total of 14 people, kids included, and spent tons of time in the play room in between snapping some family photos in the front yard.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r7mVZ8hgPCY/VbXUq2GEAbI/AAAAAAAAPbk/EgSWVkzFuKg/s1600/IMG_9833%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r7mVZ8hgPCY/VbXUq2GEAbI/AAAAAAAAPbk/EgSWVkzFuKg/s1600/IMG_9833%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bckEB7Zipf8/VbXUrAcL3UI/AAAAAAAAPbc/2BzDdmpPPiw/s1600/IMG_9835%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bckEB7Zipf8/VbXUrAcL3UI/AAAAAAAAPbc/2BzDdmpPPiw/s1600/IMG_9835%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U31uRN64u7s/VbXUqT8R9dI/AAAAAAAAPbU/I4UF0Jz_lMo/s1600/IMG_9746%2Bkids%2B2%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U31uRN64u7s/VbXUqT8R9dI/AAAAAAAAPbU/I4UF0Jz_lMo/s1600/IMG_9746%2Bkids%2B2%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rUuKacSwOPc/VbXUqb6d5XI/AAAAAAAAPbg/Nxvv-l87-h4/s1600/IMG_9758%2Bkids%2B1%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rUuKacSwOPc/VbXUqb6d5XI/AAAAAAAAPbg/Nxvv-l87-h4/s1600/IMG_9758%2Bkids%2B1%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1TPlhpPPcE/VbXUqeVK3PI/AAAAAAAAPbQ/esMznPGMc7A/s1600/IMG_9796%2Bfamily%2Bpic%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1TPlhpPPcE/VbXUqeVK3PI/AAAAAAAAPbQ/esMznPGMc7A/s1600/IMG_9796%2Bfamily%2Bpic%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Literally 10 minutes after everyone had left, the husband and I were loading our crew into the suburban to head to a birthday party for our good friends, <a href="http://fourtoadore.com/" target="_blank">the Shawvers</a>. Their quad squad was turning three and the kids were ready to help them ring it in! It was an adorable safari-themed bash and touted a great play space, arcade games and an air hockey table—the quads all got their first taste of the latter and loved it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ai5JmbjdQ6g/VbXUVMkQfzI/AAAAAAAAPak/jDvoRkw1xwY/s1600/IMG_5078%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ai5JmbjdQ6g/VbXUVMkQfzI/AAAAAAAAPak/jDvoRkw1xwY/s1600/IMG_5078%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eznrrizi-Ws/VbXUVO-oH5I/AAAAAAAAPag/wpbNPg3glCk/s1600/IMG_5075%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eznrrizi-Ws/VbXUVO-oH5I/AAAAAAAAPag/wpbNPg3glCk/s1600/IMG_5075%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5rxor-K5nN0/VbXUUjun23I/AAAAAAAAPac/YXMIDuEV-8Y/s1600/IMG_5065%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5rxor-K5nN0/VbXUUjun23I/AAAAAAAAPac/YXMIDuEV-8Y/s1600/IMG_5065%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1wkQ-ts1PtI/VbXUUXQrznI/AAAAAAAAPao/YFBCOQ04vKo/s1600/IMG_5064%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1wkQ-ts1PtI/VbXUUXQrznI/AAAAAAAAPao/YFBCOQ04vKo/s1600/IMG_5064%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9l4MCWSNoB0/VbXUUAba-5I/AAAAAAAAPaQ/7_D7L7YWNM0/s1600/IMG_5060%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9l4MCWSNoB0/VbXUUAba-5I/AAAAAAAAPaQ/7_D7L7YWNM0/s1600/IMG_5060%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-076BT5VqQxM/VbXUTVwBVxI/AAAAAAAAPaE/97mRTaRd_Wc/s1600/IMG_5049%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-076BT5VqQxM/VbXUTVwBVxI/AAAAAAAAPaE/97mRTaRd_Wc/s1600/IMG_5049%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8G6_215Ehjs/VbXUT6lH9TI/AAAAAAAAPas/Lm5gpKXUPws/s1600/IMG_5054%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8G6_215Ehjs/VbXUT6lH9TI/AAAAAAAAPas/Lm5gpKXUPws/s1600/IMG_5054%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last photo is of myself (on the right) and Amber S. as we caught a quick moment to snap a pic and catch up for a few minutes. She did a great job planning a wonderful party and we had a fantastic time. My kiddos chattered about it for awhile on the way home before passing out in their car seats. They all perked up a little when we got to the house, enough to have a quick sandwich dinner together before baths and bedtime. The husband and I couldn't get to the couch quick enough with bowls full of popcorn (topped with Lawry's Seasoning Salt, our fav), some wine and a movie. We opted to watch The Gunman with Sean Penn, which turned out to be right up our alley with plenty of action and a quick plot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's now officially Monday since I'm finishing up this post well after midnight, so I better get started on my week by logging a few hours of sleep before a new day starts again!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope <i>you</i> enjoyed a wonderful weekend and that you stop by the blog again this week for the start of my new summer guest post series!</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-31460619540674334962015-07-06T18:27:00.000-05:002015-07-06T18:27:30.460-05:00What's in Our Summer Splash Pad Bag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Within the past few weeks, we've made multiple visits to our local splash pad and the kids are <i>loving</i> it! I'm loving it, too—I get to work on my tan and soak up some much needed vitamin D, plus it wears the kiddos out and they end up taking <i>awesome</i> naps when we get home. Makes it worth every effort! We've pretty much got our splash pad routine down and have our set of go-to supplies that make every trip with us, so I thought I'd share them here...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This is not a sponsored post and all items are products we truly love! Some affiliate links are included.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7N6vI0lavQ/VZsApZZudII/AAAAAAAAPXs/Qnw_JFrm-z0/s1600/IMG_9576%2Blead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7N6vI0lavQ/VZsApZZudII/AAAAAAAAPXs/Qnw_JFrm-z0/s1600/IMG_9576%2Blead.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dvPKp-2_sTU/VZsBVdE_sVI/AAAAAAAAPYc/xyjjNi3jZLw/s1600/IMG_4931%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dvPKp-2_sTU/VZsBVdE_sVI/AAAAAAAAPYc/xyjjNi3jZLw/s1600/IMG_4931%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's nothing better than soaking up some rays while watching your kids laugh and play in the water! And the splash pad is great because the only standing water is the little "river," pictured above, which isn't deep at all so I don't have to worry about the kids capsizing in a pool. Whew.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-21m6v9pS4Q8/VZsApaPl8II/AAAAAAAAPX8/pjy130ELpLQ/s1600/IMG_9575%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-21m6v9pS4Q8/VZsApaPl8II/AAAAAAAAPX8/pjy130ELpLQ/s1600/IMG_9575%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sistema-1514-Split-Container-3-Pack/dp/B004AHLX5K/ref=sr_1_14?s=home-garden&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1436222343&amp;sr=1-14&amp;keywords=sistema" target="_blank">sistema tupperware</a> | jute tote bag (<a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Women-s-Printed-Jute-Tote-Bag/41482364" target="_blank">similar</a>) | <a href="http://www.target.com/p/vita-coco-kids-paradise-punch-fruit-flavored-coconut-water-6-oz-6-ct/-/A-14897510#prodSlot=medium_1_8&amp;term=viva+coco+water" target="_blank">Vita Coco Kids flavored coconut water</a> | Walgreens <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-after-sun-lotion-coconut/ID=prod6214273-product" target="_blank">After Sun Lotion</a> and <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-aloe-vera-cooling-gel/ID=prod6116770-product" target="_blank">Aloe Vera Cooling Gel</a> | <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/banana-boat-ultramist-continuous-spray-sunscreen-protective-dry-oil-spf-15/ID=prod3791693-product" target="_blank">Banana Boat dry oil</a> | kid's beach towel (<a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Kids-Octopus-Pirates-Fiber-Reactive-Beach-Towels-Set-of-2/42499852" target="_blank">similar</a>) | <a href="http://www.target.com/p/aveeno-baby-continuous-protection-sunscreen-4-oz/-/A-14528914#prodSlot=medium_1_1&amp;term=aveeno+sunscreen" target="_blank">Aveeno Baby sunscree</a>n | Frozen and TMNT buckets (from Dollar Store,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Frozen-Sand-Bucket/dp/B00VLDD9SU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1436223201&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=frozen+bucket" target="_blank">similar</a>) | chevron cooler bag (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/178215174/large-monogrammed-black-chevron-cooler?ref=market" target="_blank">similar</a>) | girls sunglasses (from Dollar Spot at Target) and <a href="http://www.disneystore.com/sunglasses-accessories-planes-fire-rescue-sunglasses-for-kids/mp/1369617/1000298/" target="_blank">boys Planes aviators</a>&nbsp;| plastic table cloth (<a href="http://www.target.com/p/plastic-rectangle-tablecover-with-dots/-/A-16622594#prodSlot=medium_1_8&amp;term=plastic+table+cloth" target="_blank">similar</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I tried to list links to comparable items for some of the things I couldn't find online, like my trusty chevron striped cooler bag. That thing is awesome! It's the perfect size to hold our lunch without having to lug a big, bulky bag and I just cram it with some frozen ice packs to keep everything cool until it's time to eat. The Sistema tupperware have really come in handy since they're small and divided, which makes it easy to toss in lunch meat and cheese on one side and maybe nuts or chips on the other. I also make quesadillas, pita pizzas and other easy lunches to eat picnic-style. The kids have been loving Vita Coco's flavored coconut waters, which are a great way to help keep them hydrated as well. The buckets were a great little find at our local Dollar General store, and the kids fill and dump them hundreds of times while we're at the splash pad. I usually stock up on several at the beginning of each summer to use for water, sand and play in general. My cute jute tote has plenty of space after towels, sunglasses and everything else, so I'll toss in some extra solo cups or cheap plastic measuring caps for them to play with as well.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuXE40j8r8A/VZsApdbju-I/AAAAAAAAPYA/3ZQeoZM-w2g/s1600/IMG_9584%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuXE40j8r8A/VZsApdbju-I/AAAAAAAAPYA/3ZQeoZM-w2g/s1600/IMG_9584%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We've stayed sunburn-free so far thanks to my trusty Aveeno Baby sunscreen. I prefer to use Aveeno products since Harrison has sensitive skin and it has worked very well for us. Since I put sunscreen on the kids long before we leave for the splash pad, my own sunscreen is usually an afterthought. I don't like heavy coverage and usually prefer tanning sprays, but I've been liking Banana Boat's dry oil spray. I'll even spray some in my hands to rub on my face and the SPF 15 has proven enough to prevent any burning. When it comes to anything coconut-scented, I'm a fan so when I smelled the after sun lotion at Walgreen's I had to bring some home. It smells and feels great and was only $2! So was the aloe vera cooling gel, which the husband already had to use since he forgot to apply his sunscreen during our splash pad trip over <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/07/happy-red-white-blue.html" target="_blank">the 4th of July weekend</a>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zEPXdXHcBG8/VZsBVD-Z7PI/AAAAAAAAPYQ/gNAVmLy9-vs/s1600/IMG_4921%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zEPXdXHcBG8/VZsBVD-Z7PI/AAAAAAAAPYQ/gNAVmLy9-vs/s1600/IMG_4921%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--AKmY8uYIWk/VZsBVDcG3pI/AAAAAAAAPYg/nletV7acskQ/s1600/IMG_4926%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--AKmY8uYIWk/VZsBVDcG3pI/AAAAAAAAPYg/nletV7acskQ/s1600/IMG_4926%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6o3xZUaHz6A/VZsBV9N_FSI/AAAAAAAAPYY/m9avdVBgW6U/s1600/IMG_4932%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6o3xZUaHz6A/VZsBV9N_FSI/AAAAAAAAPYY/m9avdVBgW6U/s1600/IMG_4932%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And that's what goes in our splash pad bag for summer!&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What are your water-side go to products?</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-70464629319920162232015-07-05T21:34:00.002-05:002015-07-05T21:35:44.136-05:00Our Fourth WeekendWell, if you read my <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/07/happy-red-white-blue.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, I am happy to report that fireworks were a success! The kids <i>loved</i> them. (And so did their dada, if the adorable photo below is any indication.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4iTcjnEvUvI/VZnG6BSODeI/AAAAAAAAPWg/n7976XEkQNc/s1600/IMG_9557%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4iTcjnEvUvI/VZnG6BSODeI/AAAAAAAAPWg/n7976XEkQNc/s1600/IMG_9557%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My parents joined us for dinner earlier in the evening, which was cooked entirely on the grill. The husband did a great job manning the flames and getting everything grilled to perfection! &nbsp;Grilled stuffed burgers, beef sausage, zucchini, potatoes and corn. It was so good!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4NEfLmdKt0s/VZnG3dysaII/AAAAAAAAPXg/es2ilEx7jKY/s1600/IMG_9500%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4NEfLmdKt0s/VZnG3dysaII/AAAAAAAAPXg/es2ilEx7jKY/s1600/IMG_9500%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gja-lx1Zx4/VZnG_TAxdHI/AAAAAAAAPXc/14XYwbL7Kgc/s1600/IMG_9507%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gja-lx1Zx4/VZnG_TAxdHI/AAAAAAAAPXc/14XYwbL7Kgc/s1600/IMG_9507%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eu1QHLMg21I/VZnG4mCc6MI/AAAAAAAAPWU/DaOLnEgM0sg/s1600/IMG_9519%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eu1QHLMg21I/VZnG4mCc6MI/AAAAAAAAPWU/DaOLnEgM0sg/s1600/IMG_9519%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_gJbo9Ucns/VZnG5SpnAXI/AAAAAAAAPW4/i6T-v0CJHec/s1600/IMG_9526%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_gJbo9Ucns/VZnG5SpnAXI/AAAAAAAAPW4/i6T-v0CJHec/s1600/IMG_9526%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The kids played outside in the backyard while dinner was made and we had music playing. There were extra seats at the table and flowers in the vase. All the makings of a holiday. :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SiulgYltZ4A/VZnG3RGy21I/AAAAAAAAPV8/ZV76PrgGdTw/s1600/IMG_9505%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SiulgYltZ4A/VZnG3RGy21I/AAAAAAAAPV8/ZV76PrgGdTw/s1600/IMG_9505%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hoZdsfTylEs/VZnG3apVPqI/AAAAAAAAPXU/RCMxEetXRYg/s1600/IMG_9504%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hoZdsfTylEs/VZnG3apVPqI/AAAAAAAAPXU/RCMxEetXRYg/s1600/IMG_9504%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wU-dHyoKTig/VZnG4rnZqsI/AAAAAAAAPWY/Fj2hzI2nbzc/s1600/IMG_9512%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wU-dHyoKTig/VZnG4rnZqsI/AAAAAAAAPWY/Fj2hzI2nbzc/s1600/IMG_9512%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0NRaVuL-jCU/VZnG4GbPJbI/AAAAAAAAPWI/pqu4MvjrfKg/s1600/IMG_9509%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0NRaVuL-jCU/VZnG4GbPJbI/AAAAAAAAPWI/pqu4MvjrfKg/s1600/IMG_9509%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uB4oM6xxULY/VZnG5TkgoSI/AAAAAAAAPWk/Gwqjgqby_IU/s1600/IMG_9536%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uB4oM6xxULY/VZnG5TkgoSI/AAAAAAAAPWk/Gwqjgqby_IU/s1600/IMG_9536%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After dinner, we drove to a nearby field and set out our lawn chairs and cracked open a few drinks while we waited for darkness to settle. I broke out the glow bracelets and wands for the kids and they chased each other around in the grass before the booms and sparkles started. All four enjoyed the fireworks so much! They rotated through their chairs and our laps during the show, each one commenting on the colors, the shapes or sizes. One of my favorite moments was when Trystan was sitting in her little blue plastic lawn chair at my feet and said, "Oh, I love it!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CsUpgQSk1SQ/VZnG6AiGsfI/AAAAAAAAPWo/CLuUokiFTZE/s1600/IMG_9558%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CsUpgQSk1SQ/VZnG6AiGsfI/AAAAAAAAPWo/CLuUokiFTZE/s1600/IMG_9558%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uHpSYkDRbkI/VZnG77qojdI/AAAAAAAAPXM/20HvvzBZj1M/s1600/watching%2Bfireworks%2Bcollage%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uHpSYkDRbkI/VZnG77qojdI/AAAAAAAAPXM/20HvvzBZj1M/s1600/watching%2Bfireworks%2Bcollage%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p0TPjygH77w/VZnG7jBwAsI/AAAAAAAAPXA/9qpmKtAbZK4/s1600/IMG_9565%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p0TPjygH77w/VZnG7jBwAsI/AAAAAAAAPXA/9qpmKtAbZK4/s1600/IMG_9565%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It truly was the perfect 4th and a memorable one since the kids have now experienced fireworks! Since we all went to bed late, they slept in late and we had to work hard to get everyone woken up for church this morning. Unfortunately, Harrison's fever is still hanging around and he wasn't feeling very well again (he's had some good moments over the weekend at least) so he stayed home with the husband while I took the girls with me to church. It was my Sunday to help in their Children's Church class, then my mom met up with us afterward and we girls all went to lunch. I love that I can do things like that with my kids now! I remember when they were babies and thinking about all the fun outings we'd experience with them when they were older, or the plans we could make at the last minute "just because." And now all that is happening, which makes me very grateful and happy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd been desperately wanting to take the girls to see the new Cinderella movie once it hit the dollar theater and there was a showing right after our lunch. But it was also their typical nap time and I knew there was no way Kailey would make it through. So I dropped her off at the house, feeling totally guilty that I was sneaking the other two girls off with me and my mom and Kailey wouldn't get to go to the movies. We kept it hush-hush so she wouldn't get upset, and she ran inside straight to Harrison who had been laying on the couch. She literally squealed with happiness to see him and he gave her the biggest hug around the neck. Melted my heart into a million sobby pieces! Without hardly a second glance at me, she hopped up onto the couch next to him and snuggled into his shoulder and his blanket to join him in watching the movie that he and the husband had started earlier. Clearly she wasn't heartbroken at our division of plans!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So my mom and I took Trystan and Logan to the theater where my sister and her kiddo met up with us as well. It was such a perfect afternoon and we passed cookies and popcorn up and down our row of six, while we all enjoyed a great film. The girls loved it, especially Logan—she had her eyes fixated on the screen the entire time and was completely enthralled with the story. They knew the traditional Cinderella tale and recognized the character in the film, as well as the evil stepmother (muttering "That's not nice!" when she tore the sleeve on Cinderella's dress), the fairy godmother and Prince Charming. They told their daddy all about it when we got home, even how they danced at the ball and Cinderella got a pretty new dress. These are the moments I <i>love</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xuKKqOomLaU/VZnG9GNAKKI/AAAAAAAAPXQ/qgdPNiOqpns/s1600/IMG_4920%2BCW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xuKKqOomLaU/VZnG9GNAKKI/AAAAAAAAPXQ/qgdPNiOqpns/s1600/IMG_4920%2BCW.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been an awesome holiday weekend and I think we've successfully rotated through all the red, white and blue clothing we own...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gkA_rihXDdw/VZnG9GDc-6I/AAAAAAAAPXI/YmwU_35c__E/s1600/IMG_4876%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gkA_rihXDdw/VZnG9GDc-6I/AAAAAAAAPXI/YmwU_35c__E/s1600/IMG_4876%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now it's time to get back to the grind and prep for Monday. I was harboring grand plans of a morning at the splash pad but Trystan seems to now be down for the count with a fever as well. So we might be sticking it out at home and hoping this is only a 48-virus that will leave everyone alone soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hoping you enjoyed a wonderful 4th with you and yours! Off to watch the latest episode of The Last Ship and sip some sleepytime tea...</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-36076801795833551532015-07-04T17:07:00.001-05:002015-07-04T17:07:29.207-05:00Happy Red, White & Blue!!It's so funny how so many normal things take on such great important and a newfound fascination when you're a parent watching your kids experience things for the first time, isn't it!?<br /><br />In my opinion, it's truly one of the best things about being a mom to my quad squad. I get a little desperate sometimes hoping I don't miss anything, since I've got four little kiddos seeing or doing things for the first time all together. I don't want to miss a major expression that one makes while I'm watching another one to see how they react, meanwhile I've got two more that I don't want to overlook either! Photos, videos, memory books, blog posts—it's all part of my plan to record as much as possible so that I have all those important first moments and experiences to keep forever, and so each child has plenty of their own memories to revisit when they're older. We take a lot of group photos and make a lot of group memories, but there are still so many individual pictures, videos and outings that the kids have enjoyed on their own with myself or the husband. It's equally important to me that they can look back on their childhood and find those singled-out events; like something as simple as finding a cute photo of when they're two years old to include in a slideshow at their wedding that's of them as an individual and not just all four of them together.<br /><br />Nostalgic, much? Ha, maybe so. We're talking about "firsts" and all and I've been giddy all weekend to watch the kids faces light up with excitement, hesitation, shock and awe when that first firework explodes! We've been talking about it all week, explaining how they look, the noise they make, that they only go up in the sky when it's dark. We've read a few books about the holiday and its celebrations (thanks to a sweet friend for sending those!) and have watched a few snippets of fireworks on TV thanks to news coverage we recorded from last night. The kids know we're grilling a big dinner this evening and then going to a field to watch the fireworks when the sun goes down! I even snagged some red, white and blue glow wands from the Dollar Store yesterday to surprise them with in the dusky light.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TeqWs-PyEtM/VZhV6FSaaWI/AAAAAAAAPT8/Qi13FPUG1j8/s1600/IMG_9499%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TeqWs-PyEtM/VZhV6FSaaWI/AAAAAAAAPT8/Qi13FPUG1j8/s1600/IMG_9499%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />This <i>exact day</i> two years ago, we were sweating our asses off <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2013/07/making-move.html" target="_blank">moving into this house of ours</a>. It was a monumental day since we'd just spent four months living in a crammed-full apartment with quadruplets that were just learning to walk and get really mobile. Plus, we <i>fell in love</i> with this house after less than five minutes <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2013/06/we-have-house.html" target="_blank">of seeing it for the first time</a> and I have known ever since that it's our "forever home" where we are supposed to be! Sometimes we feel like we've been in it for quite awhile and get overwhelmed at the big to-do list of things we still want to improve or accomplish, then other days we realize it's only been two years and we've actually already accomplished a fair amount of things—especially while parenting quadruplets! So, you know...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6ZAo2kctGc/VZhW4AVsuRI/AAAAAAAAPVA/XLZQ5qZrEL0/s1600/moving%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T6ZAo2kctGc/VZhW4AVsuRI/AAAAAAAAPVA/XLZQ5qZrEL0/s1600/moving%2B2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-COG4cljAJ5I/VZhW4zz7uuI/AAAAAAAAPVE/U-AUodjww4Y/s1600/moving%2Bday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-COG4cljAJ5I/VZhW4zz7uuI/AAAAAAAAPVE/U-AUodjww4Y/s1600/moving%2Bday.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend so far has been a nice, quiet one filled with family time. The husband had Friday off work and the kids kept asking when he had to leave, thus also being repeatedly and happily surprised when he kept reminding them he was home all weekend! We spent a few hours at the splash pad...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CduWw7lkvrE/VZhW1biyHlI/AAAAAAAAPUk/wZf3RME4nbY/s1600/IMG_4897%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CduWw7lkvrE/VZhW1biyHlI/AAAAAAAAPUk/wZf3RME4nbY/s1600/IMG_4897%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYZbZNTOJKI/VZhW1iNT56I/AAAAAAAAPVQ/sOb1rOGlTA8/s1600/IMG_4902%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYZbZNTOJKI/VZhW1iNT56I/AAAAAAAAPVQ/sOb1rOGlTA8/s1600/IMG_4902%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wBpg85JuciU/VZhYGdJS8QI/AAAAAAAAPVU/kBmyYyWNtkc/s1600/IMG_4904%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wBpg85JuciU/VZhYGdJS8QI/AAAAAAAAPVU/kBmyYyWNtkc/s1600/IMG_4904%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>&nbsp;...grabbed donuts for breakfast this morning...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PF2fnMdBFus/VZhW2dOBimI/AAAAAAAAPUs/XWeh5NPSn2s/s1600/IMG_4908%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PF2fnMdBFus/VZhW2dOBimI/AAAAAAAAPUs/XWeh5NPSn2s/s1600/IMG_4908%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...and stopped for hair cuts for the guys. (Harrison is a pro with this now, by the way! He gets up in his own chair and gets his hair trimmed while dada gets his cut one chair over. Harrison would give me a sly smile out of the corner of his eye every now and then and beelined it for the jar of suckers when he was done. Boy doesn't miss a thing!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7QW8AYkbtY/VZhW3H2h5rI/AAAAAAAAPU0/dskgHdrdLjw/s1600/IMG_4909%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7QW8AYkbtY/VZhW3H2h5rI/AAAAAAAAPU0/dskgHdrdLjw/s1600/IMG_4909%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everyone napped pretty solid this afternoon, which is good for their late night adventure this evening. Poor Harrison is now running a temp and I've no idea if it's a virus or cold or what, but he seems to be in better spirits after a long rest. Kailey was the first one to wake up, though, and got a few minutes of exclusive couch time with dada watching bronco riding. She kept saying, "Giddy up! Hang on!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TC7vXqicQA8/VZhV4w1YshI/AAAAAAAAPUM/tzOQFcSoj5I/s1600/IMG_9498%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TC7vXqicQA8/VZhV4w1YshI/AAAAAAAAPUM/tzOQFcSoj5I/s1600/IMG_9498%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And while we're all on the hunt for any clothes that are red, white or blue to wear this evening, it seems perfectly acceptable to me in the interim to wear Cinderella undies and fairy wings. Because, you know. That is totally normal. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lG44oeWIuwg/VZhV3yILoYI/AAAAAAAAPUY/DkUKJIJfOkE/s1600/IMG_9497%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lG44oeWIuwg/VZhV3yILoYI/AAAAAAAAPUY/DkUKJIJfOkE/s1600/IMG_9497%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy 4th! And, if you're a parent, happy 4th "kid watching!" Seeing life through the eyes of child has become one of my greatest privileges...</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-57669568474075814832015-07-02T22:54:00.000-05:002015-07-02T23:08:44.838-05:00Busy Days of Summer!Summer time is here and we are making the most of it! It's not all being spent pool side just yet, since I can't take four small kids anywhere with water more than ankle deep unless we have four dedicated adults for each child. Though we had swim lessons last year and hope to have a few more this year, we'll have four little fishies soon! (One of my best friends who just happens to be the head coach for my synchronized swim team, <a href="http://www.ptxsynchro.com/about-ptx/" target="_blank">The Pirouettes of Texas</a>, teaches the quads and she's amazing! She does private lessons all over the DFW area, by the way...)<br /><br />However, when dada is around who needs swim suits?! Clothes and an impromptu water hose sprinkler work just as well. This was the scene I walked out to in the middle of cooking dinner tonight—which was a delicious cilantro lime salmon I'll be sharing soon! This weekend's plans include a family trip to our favorite local splash pad that the kids absolutely love and I enjoy as well, especially the tan lines that come with each visit. Last time I took the quads, they came home and napped for just over three hours!! Praying for a repeat of that?! <i>You bet!</i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sBI2LthqWoM/VZX64cLIJtI/AAAAAAAAPSk/VDOWDYg8KMo/s1600/IMG_4883%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sBI2LthqWoM/VZX64cLIJtI/AAAAAAAAPSk/VDOWDYg8KMo/s1600/IMG_4883%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Life has stayed busy lately, but it's not the typical feeling of having too much to do or that things have been chaotic. It's more a result of the quads having a busy little social schedule to keep up with—including two days of summer camp each week, which has been a fantastic investment for both them and us as parents! It gives me two wonderful, much-needed opportunities each week to do things unencumbered while providing a fun, learning, friend-filled environment for the kids. And they really enjoy their teachers, too, who are so sweet and light up every time they see the quad squad coming down the hall to class! The camp is hosted by the same school the kids go to, which is at our church. They've done a lot of fun things already for summer, including a petting zoo right outside their class rooms!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qN1cNt012w/VZX63Ce6zTI/AAAAAAAAPTY/xDRTM58P-NA/s1600/IMG_4840%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qN1cNt012w/VZX63Ce6zTI/AAAAAAAAPTY/xDRTM58P-NA/s1600/IMG_4840%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The husband and I have had a chance to get out and be social ourselves, like attending a friend's birthday at a local brewery then picking up the kids later to join them at their home for dinner and lots of play time. And I'm not just talking about the little guys. Both dad's got in on some basketball mini-hoop action. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzxuxbaXr74/VZX62qrtAII/AAAAAAAAPSU/oR0aGpIWEnc/s1600/IMG_4816%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzxuxbaXr74/VZX62qrtAII/AAAAAAAAPSU/oR0aGpIWEnc/s1600/IMG_4816%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we're not out and about, the quads stay plenty occupied (and equally as entertaining) at home. The other day, Kailey got her purse, jewelry, baby, play keys and a pair of mama's tall wedges and announced to me she was ready to go! That's my girl...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pa9FD0m0Ufg/VZX62JSGrWI/AAAAAAAAPTU/84RE2R54c7w/s1600/FullSizeRender%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pa9FD0m0Ufg/VZX62JSGrWI/AAAAAAAAPTU/84RE2R54c7w/s1600/FullSizeRender%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Speaking of my pretty girls, look at Logan's hair!! It's gotten so long and continues to become even more voluminous and beautiful. That girl has the perfect curls! She wakes up in the morning and shakes her head back and forth to make her hair swing around like a little super model, and it seriously looks like it's been completely styled. Envious!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--SOFdZ3qvW0/VZX62J-DcSI/AAAAAAAAPTg/1n11oI5U12g/s1600/IMG_4799%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--SOFdZ3qvW0/VZX62J-DcSI/AAAAAAAAPTg/1n11oI5U12g/s1600/IMG_4799%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bedtime reading has always been a favorite event around our house, but even more so since I scored the collection of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;field-keywords=bear%20books&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;tag=textak-20&amp;url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;linkId=WMYMDLEGCOSTJWUU" target="_blank">Bear Books</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=textak-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> at Costco. <i>The Bear Snores On</i> is the kids' absolute favorite and they can quote many of the lines from it. I also rotate in fresh books from the library, like a few Disney princess tomes that the girls were super excited about. And their sweet dada read every word...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LkSo1cS02M0/VZX62KcyfNI/AAAAAAAAPTc/2j1ntBZOHhg/s1600/IMG_4805%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LkSo1cS02M0/VZX62KcyfNI/AAAAAAAAPTc/2j1ntBZOHhg/s1600/IMG_4805%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And on evenings that dada works super later, four little munchkins somehow wind up in bed with momma for a little Mickey Mouse to end the day. Can't say I don't mind the extra snuggles!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iBaVp1wJTvA/VZX625He-DI/AAAAAAAAPTM/ICmH622P5oM/s1600/IMG_4839%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iBaVp1wJTvA/VZX625He-DI/AAAAAAAAPTM/ICmH622P5oM/s1600/IMG_4839%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />It quickly became even more important to us to maintain a close connection to family when <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2012/01/blessed-with-four.html" target="_blank">we found out we were expecting quadruplets</a>. We were very blessed to find <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2013/07/making-move.html" target="_blank">a new home we love</a> (which this weekend marks our two year anniversary in it!) after four dreadful months of <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2013/04/apartment-life.html" target="_blank">apartment life</a>. &nbsp;And it was just like we'd hoped it be—we live close to both sets of our parents, who help us out with the kids all the time and we're all able to be involved in each other's lives on a regular basis! No afraid to work hard for what we want, the husband and I took on <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2013/03/our-big-move.html" target="_blank">the giant task of relocating from Houston to the Dallas area</a> with four babies in tow; worked even harder to find the right house in the right part of town; and we make sure visits go both ways as we like to get out and see people and don't always expect people to come to us! My mom watched the kids so I could get to a doctor appointment and <a href="http://lindaslifejournal-artlady1948.blogspot.com/2015/06/tuesday-you-know-routine.html" target="_blank">since it was Tuesday</a>, which is art day at her house, each one of them got to add a few swipes of paint to her Santa Clause oil painting she's been working on. Kailey even sat with Ruth Ann, my step-dad's sister-in-law, and quietly watched her paint. Bam Bam does not often sit still and peaceful! Art can definitely have a calming, focusing effect.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AF44NwKL28/VZX63vKX9WI/AAAAAAAAPTI/fE0twLrFq-Y/s1600/IMG_4847%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AF44NwKL28/VZX63vKX9WI/AAAAAAAAPTI/fE0twLrFq-Y/s1600/IMG_4847%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvIKWtRENlQ/VZX65KHpunI/AAAAAAAAPTE/e8oqcd0NWBA/s1600/art%2Bclass%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvIKWtRENlQ/VZX65KHpunI/AAAAAAAAPTE/e8oqcd0NWBA/s1600/art%2Bclass%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm just so glad that the kids get such a variety of experiences on a regular basis, and are also regularly around the family and friends nearest and dearest to us. Another prime example is my longtime friend Jo Ann, who is affectionately referred to as JoJo by the quads, and her husband, daughter and baby boy. I've been sick off and on (mostly on) for about a month, ever since I had strep at the end of May. Another virus had taken hold this past week and I was <i>really</i> feeling down for the count. Without any prompting or fan fare, JoJo said she and the kids would be heading over first thing Monday to watch the quads and take care of meals, naps and all so I could rest. I literally dozed in bed for about five hours while they were here and it helped so much! I truly think it enabled to finally start to turn the corner—in addition to my visit to my doctor the next day that entailed a steroid shot—and I am happy to report I'm officially on the mend. God has always delivered on His promise not to give me more than I can bear, and always has angels ready to go right when I need help the most!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-545A_XNpfVY/VZX63d25ZvI/AAAAAAAAPSc/YlcyhYGXqIk/s1600/IMG_4841%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-545A_XNpfVY/VZX63d25ZvI/AAAAAAAAPSc/YlcyhYGXqIk/s1600/IMG_4841%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As my overall health improves, I'm still battling with some severe foot pain and am now wearing these not-so-fashionable arch supports on both feet when I'm walking a lot. This will help in the interim until time for a small procedure on each foot to get rid of some scar tissue that's causing my ligaments to not be able to fully stretch out, hence the pain. I'll be sharing more details on all that as things get worked out—it's alway something! I have been recovering from my quad pregnancy ever since those babies were delivered and it's definitely been quite the journey as it took a huge toll.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BejzySxNaKA/VZX632xXg1I/AAAAAAAAPSo/uSzLYl2A5-M/s1600/IMG_4850%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BejzySxNaKA/VZX632xXg1I/AAAAAAAAPSo/uSzLYl2A5-M/s1600/IMG_4850%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But for now, we're focused on a long holiday weekend and the fact that the husband is off work Friday and the 4th will be the quads first time to witness fireworks! They're night owls just like their parents so we aren't worried about them making it late enough to see the sparkling nighttime show, and they are completely stoked about it. At school on Thursday, they made a firework craft with paint and glitter, which as only fueled the excitement! To kick off the extended weekend, we had a family movie night complete with popcorn and lots of cozy blankets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0PrVJKaez4/VZX649YmE9I/AAAAAAAAPS8/nvQUu_2K_7w/s1600/IMG_9495%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0PrVJKaez4/VZX649YmE9I/AAAAAAAAPS8/nvQUu_2K_7w/s1600/IMG_9495%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t581HmiBDDo/VZX64tzsdqI/AAAAAAAAPTA/PeuSe6NpYkA/s1600/IMG_9490%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t581HmiBDDo/VZX64tzsdqI/AAAAAAAAPTA/PeuSe6NpYkA/s1600/IMG_9490%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I appreciate you sticking with me and following along with us on Texas Tales! This summer, I am working on a whole new design for the blog, new categories and more frequent posts and will also be hosting a couple fun giveaways as well as launching a special series of guest posts featuring some close friends of mine. So stick with us, and happy 4th weekend!</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-79087480907498273942015-06-25T19:26:00.003-05:002015-06-25T19:26:43.616-05:00Leaving my 20s Behind...I knew the day would come. I mean, it's inevitable anyway. Every year, each of us ages another 365 days and adds a new digit to our numerical category. This year, however, was a bit more than just ticking off another year gone by on the calendar. I begrudgingly left my 20s behind and turned 30 years old!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eWuwip5It-s/VYybpN9qmpI/AAAAAAAAPQg/EBgAnCYZvjI/s1600/IMG_4545%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eWuwip5It-s/VYybpN9qmpI/AAAAAAAAPQg/EBgAnCYZvjI/s1600/IMG_4545%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />The party was fantastic, just my style. We went to The Rustic, a restaurant and outdoor venue with a small stage for live concerts, owned by country music artist Pat Green. Lots of beer was consumed, along with a few tequila shots and some delicious chocolate cake.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i5-elH2vrl4/VYybp7N96xI/AAAAAAAAPQ0/7UC15Y9KkGE/s1600/IMG_4555%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i5-elH2vrl4/VYybp7N96xI/AAAAAAAAPQ0/7UC15Y9KkGE/s1600/IMG_4555%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gG3Zd_k4Hi8/VYybqxqfwYI/AAAAAAAAPRA/2f7xw4gFIeE/s1600/IMG_4564%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gG3Zd_k4Hi8/VYybqxqfwYI/AAAAAAAAPRA/2f7xw4gFIeE/s1600/IMG_4564%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H-WSniNfGzI/VYybqV1wlcI/AAAAAAAAPRM/mQLMjxothF0/s1600/IMG_4556%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H-WSniNfGzI/VYybqV1wlcI/AAAAAAAAPRM/mQLMjxothF0/s1600/IMG_4556%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZnc8RL487k/VYybrTxwA8I/AAAAAAAAPRE/jI2RKu0yZ_E/s1600/IMG_4694%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZnc8RL487k/VYybrTxwA8I/AAAAAAAAPRE/jI2RKu0yZ_E/s1600/IMG_4694%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />I made <a href="http://etsy.com/shop/texastake" target="_blank">hand stamped necklace favors</a> for all my girls that came, which read "live the life you love #30" and we handed out custom #30 cookies (by <a href="http://facebook.com/sugarcomacookies" target="_blank">Sugar Coma Cookies</a>) as well as glow stick bracelets when the sun went down. Fun times were had by all!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V_h-_vBipr8/VYybppJoWzI/AAAAAAAAPRY/8c6q8BpM6QE/s1600/IMG_4549%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V_h-_vBipr8/VYybppJoWzI/AAAAAAAAPRY/8c6q8BpM6QE/s1600/IMG_4549%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--0mHe-CGP28/VYybpPAQFoI/AAAAAAAAPRc/xF590R3MFFc/s1600/IMG_4547%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--0mHe-CGP28/VYybpPAQFoI/AAAAAAAAPRc/xF590R3MFFc/s1600/IMG_4547%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-prej6-LSpjA/VYybpEXOcaI/AAAAAAAAPQo/JnYmIMnF0Fo/s1600/IMG_4548%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-prej6-LSpjA/VYybpEXOcaI/AAAAAAAAPQo/JnYmIMnF0Fo/s1600/IMG_4548%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />I don't think 30 is getting "old," no. Why was I sad to leave my 20s? Because they were a hell of a good time. I did a lot of crazy, awesome, fun things when I was 20-something. They were good years. And years during which I learned some pretty major life lessons and accomplished some big personal goals. Like self-financing my college education and graduating with a bachelors degree in journalism several months before I turned 21. Then <i>turning</i> 21 and drinking my face off, as any new legal-age drinking consumer should do. I found and married the man of my dreams that same year, which means I graduated in May and got hitched in September. We had a super fun wedding with a big ol' reception and served fajitas for our nuptial dinner. <i>So us</i>. Our honeymoon in Hawaii was epic and we have continued to grow closer as best friends and as husband and wife ever since.<br /><br />For a few years in there, I feel like I was coasting. Life was good, I was working on my career (I became an editor at a luxury lifestyle magazine in Houston) and the husband and I spent our free time working on our first home or out partying with friends. Then we made a major change and <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2009/08/weve-arrived.html" target="_blank">moved to Scotland for a year</a>—which <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2009/06/in-beginning.html" target="_blank">kickstarted this very blog</a>—and lived abroad, traveled Europe and loved every second.<br /><br />Once we'd moved back home to Texas and somewhat resumed our way of life, I began my own freelance writing company and we spent time enjoying all the things we'd missed about home, including our family and friends. More vacations, trips, a new house and several contemplative discussions later, we were ready to add kids to the equation. Little did we know what we were in for, right? You can read all about our fertility struggles, my miscarriages and the emotional journey that led us to expecting quadruplets <a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2012/01/blessed-with-four.html" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;<br /><br />Fast forward a couple years, and here I am. Newly 30 with an incredible husband of nine years, four three-year-olds, a home I love and close to family. It's a blessed life, that's for sure. I try not to take the everyday things for granted—everything is a gift, given to me by God and He entrusts me to do the best that I can with this path I've been granted. I do feel confident when I tell people that at the age of 30, I can honestly say I've already done the hardest thing I'll ever have to do in life...referencing my quad pregnancy and delivery. Anything that comes my way from here on out pales in comparison to that struggle I endured! I am <i>still</i> working on recovering from the toll it took on my body!<br /><br />With age, maturity and experience, I've certainly learned to take things in stride. I've always believe that when you aren't sure what to do, just wait and don't do anything. The answer always comes along, whether it's the dead of night or a random moment in the day when suddenly everything becomes crystal clear. I like having a plan in place and until that plan has come together, I try to hold off on any actions that could affect the outcome. Hand in hand with that approach is my laid back demeanor. I wouldn't describe myself as a high-stress person. I'm not prone to anxiety (unless it's in a hospital, pretty sure I have PTSD from my pregnancy days) and it can take a lot to really get a rile out of me. Usually. Mess with my family or act a fool and Mama Bear comes out and I don't play!!<br /><br />Having four children at once has definitely kept me motivated, I'm typically pretty goal-oriented though I've never felt as scatter brained as I do these days. I'm probably more organized now, though, then I was before—although I don't feel like it much of the time since my house stays in a shamble of sorts thanks to wayward shoes, laundry piles and toys that have escaped the play room. Nothing life altering, though.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKGR42oKBhM/VYybyG_ZERI/AAAAAAAAPRk/9p1UCL1fWaY/s1600/kids%2Beating%2Bcake%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKGR42oKBhM/VYybyG_ZERI/AAAAAAAAPRk/9p1UCL1fWaY/s1600/kids%2Beating%2Bcake%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the kids taste testing momma's birthday cake!</td></tr></tbody></table>There's still a lot left for me to learn and many years of fun and adventure ahead with my instant family of six. The husband and I are definitely enjoying being parents together and still look at each other now and then and take a second to absorb the fact that we are now <i>parents</i>. To <i>quadruplets</i>!<br /><br />I continue to try and enjoy my days and take each one as it comes. God doesn't give me more than I can bear, I learned to infinitely trust Him on that when He blessed us with quads. And I'm also learning to enjoy (and get used to) answering with "30" when someone asks about my age. So maybe I've got an extra wrinkle at the edge of my eyes and my metabolism is hopping a little slower (because of all the beer and wine I drink? nah...). But no matter what life brings my way next, I'm leaving my 20s behind with my head held high.<br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-66668196536800396312015-06-24T17:54:00.001-05:002015-06-24T17:54:24.261-05:00Noah's Ark Lesson + Animal CraftIt's been awhile since I've done a book and craft combo with the kids, so when I spotted a box craft set of paper plate animals on super sale at Michael's I went ahead and grabbed it to stow away for a rainy day. A few weeks later, I came up with an animal-related lesson we could do and found a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811835634/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0811835634&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=textak-20&amp;linkId=DZPUBJ7FSTRSYLFX">Noah's Ark book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=textak-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0811835634" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />while at the library.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gmTa0uvT4GA/VYsveKR_HGI/AAAAAAAAPP0/pk3IM9vVyP4/s1600/IMG_9381%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gmTa0uvT4GA/VYsveKR_HGI/AAAAAAAAPP0/pk3IM9vVyP4/s1600/IMG_9381%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />After a massive toy swap out in their play room, I remembered we actually had a Noah's Ark toy in their box of Little People stuff so I pulled that out and used it to explain who Noah was and what the ark looked like. The kids each held two animals of their choosing while I read the book to them, then I slid the boat around the table and let them each march their figurines into the ark "two by two" before we started our craft.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4iq3zWIsTaQ/VYsveLrVx_I/AAAAAAAAPPw/LqkWhFf9v_k/s1600/IMG_9382%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4iq3zWIsTaQ/VYsveLrVx_I/AAAAAAAAPPw/LqkWhFf9v_k/s1600/IMG_9382%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />I'm not one to shy away from putting together a set of craft supplies myself—and I keep several craft drawers stocked with random supplies to rummage through for just such an occasion—but it really did help that everything I needed came in the box. &nbsp;The quads were able to peel the paper backing off the foam sticker pieces themselves and I would show them how to copy the photo on the box to assemble their respective animals. Coincidentally, two made a zebra and two made a monkey.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UAiw82bOSjE/VYsveNCBC4I/AAAAAAAAPP4/M6o0vk3WC5o/s1600/IMG_9384%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UAiw82bOSjE/VYsveNCBC4I/AAAAAAAAPP4/M6o0vk3WC5o/s1600/IMG_9384%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />They were quite proud of their finished pieces and show them off to anyone who comes over since I hung them on their art boards in the play room (along with their super cute Father's Day card my mom helped them make, complete with flowers!).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qfiv4Cywf5s/VYsxSD0vMfI/AAAAAAAAPQE/XQu6SKcDXgo/s1600/IMG_9420%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qfiv4Cywf5s/VYsxSD0vMfI/AAAAAAAAPQE/XQu6SKcDXgo/s1600/IMG_9420%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />After the craft, we watched our&nbsp;<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002MHDSI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0002MHDSI&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=textak-20&amp;linkId=AZBCDWAMRWGH4Y7B">Baby Einstein's Baby Noah</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=textak-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B0002MHDSI" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />&nbsp;</u></span>DVD—yes, we still have many of our Baby Einstein DVDs because they still love them—and it held their attention for&nbsp;<i>the entire 38 minutes</i>. That's like five years in toddler time, right!? I actually emptied the dishwasher and reloaded it, completely uninterrupted and without up to eight hands wanting to "help me." Plus, I think between the craft, Little People toy and DVD, the concept of Noah and his ark was very much solidified in their minds because they've repeated the story a few times since.<br /><br />Mission accomplished.<br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-39970134876057138742015-06-19T16:01:00.004-05:002015-06-19T16:03:07.812-05:00The Quad Squad Turns 3 + Party Pics!With each passing year, the kids become more and more aware of events and special occasions and love getting in on all the action. As parents, we enjoy explaining these things—be it how they turn another year old and get to celebrate, or that Christmas presents fill the space under the tree the night before—and watching their pure, unfettered excitement as they experience everything. Birthdays are a huge occasion in our household with quadruplets, needless to say! We try to throw a good party since we only have to do one fete a year even with four kiddos—something I <i>kindly</i> remind the husband of when I'm ordering party favors or custom cookies. Ha!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wmDcGGg2Jmc/VYSA0oZOtgI/AAAAAAAAPNQ/d9a-169xImI/s1600/IMG_9109%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wmDcGGg2Jmc/VYSA0oZOtgI/AAAAAAAAPNQ/d9a-169xImI/s1600/IMG_9109%2Bedit%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />This year was the first party we hosted at a venue, opting for an indoor trampoline park. It's one of the kid's favorite places to go bounce off energy and we frequent it often on rainy days or cold winter weeks. They have an entire area devoted to kids aged seven and younger, which is really nice because I don't have to worry about big kids bouncing all over my crew. There's also two bounce houses with slides they love to climb all over and plenty of space to run, the ever important factor when trying to entertain energetic, three year olds who seem to thrive on little sleep and keeping you up late at night with all the standard bedtime delays ("I need water!" or "I need to pee!" or "Give me another kiss!" and the list goes on...)<br /><br />To kick off the festivities, I put together a cute but simple invite touting our choo choos and tutus theme. Below is a copy of the invite with generic info (don't need to share my cell phone number with the whole world!), which actually now available in my Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/234253639/choo-choos-tutus-birthday-party?ref=shop_home_active_6" target="_blank">here</a>! I know it can be tricky planning a party for multiples, much less a party that accommodates both genders, so I've begun adding some printable invitations I've created for just such events in my shop like <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/234238459/pirate-princess-birthday-invitation?ref=shop_home_active_7" target="_blank">this adorable pirates and princesses design</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mZq-Cls8Qm4/VYR1Dd-BltI/AAAAAAAAPMA/Bc3MEG9hhlE/s1600/invitation%2Bsample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mZq-Cls8Qm4/VYR1Dd-BltI/AAAAAAAAPMA/Bc3MEG9hhlE/s1600/invitation%2Bsample.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a fun party! I'll let the photos speak mostly for themselves, but the kids loved seeing their friends arriving as well as many of the wonderful and truly special people in our lives that have loved my babies since the beginning. From grandparents to longtime family friends and newer acquaintances to our beloved babysitters and nanny, everyone made sure to drop by and celebrate the quad squad's birthday! They also spoiled them with <i>tons of gifts</i>—I've never seen such a stack of presents! I always advise folks to bring something small for each kiddo or just a reasonable group gift, but I think everyone must've had fun shopping because there were so many fun goodies in each bag and box and the kids had a blast ripping open presents and taking in all their new toys, clothes and books. They loved everything and have had fun working their way through it all the past few weeks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iqs4i-5EFvY/VYSAyoxC12I/AAAAAAAAPPI/qgcEwMg7HE0/s1600/IMG_9022%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iqs4i-5EFvY/VYSAyoxC12I/AAAAAAAAPPI/qgcEwMg7HE0/s1600/IMG_9022%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v-A3qEKTZWo/VYSAzmm2HAI/AAAAAAAAPPE/DJuUmPctye0/s1600/IMG_9065%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v-A3qEKTZWo/VYSAzmm2HAI/AAAAAAAAPPE/DJuUmPctye0/s1600/IMG_9065%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FGabFT9lEQ0/VYSA2n_jzwI/AAAAAAAAPN8/74a_M5q0JDg/s1600/IMG_9094%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FGabFT9lEQ0/VYSA2n_jzwI/AAAAAAAAPN8/74a_M5q0JDg/s1600/IMG_9094%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-228ocToPRZw/VYSA0F9S95I/AAAAAAAAPNM/toGwvG0e2u4/s1600/IMG_9074%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-228ocToPRZw/VYSA0F9S95I/AAAAAAAAPNM/toGwvG0e2u4/s1600/IMG_9074%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YmpR2c2uoKE/VYSAzi1kx_I/AAAAAAAAPNA/Wt27gMkEWbk/s1600/IMG_9072%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YmpR2c2uoKE/VYSAzi1kx_I/AAAAAAAAPNA/Wt27gMkEWbk/s1600/IMG_9072%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSL3ARanc2I/VYSAzaxqQ_I/AAAAAAAAPM0/cb23McePeac/s1600/IMG_9062%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSL3ARanc2I/VYSAzaxqQ_I/AAAAAAAAPM0/cb23McePeac/s1600/IMG_9062%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NI9L3dePpWY/VYSAzK4WVUI/AAAAAAAAPPI/TXGlpQBv0xo/s1600/IMG_9045%2Bbw%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NI9L3dePpWY/VYSAzK4WVUI/AAAAAAAAPPI/TXGlpQBv0xo/s1600/IMG_9045%2Bbw%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uMe5kEXNpCA/VYSA0759qYI/AAAAAAAAPNY/cyLL5NujeNo/s1600/IMG_9115%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uMe5kEXNpCA/VYSA0759qYI/AAAAAAAAPNY/cyLL5NujeNo/s1600/IMG_9115%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">parents and quad squad with their aunt summer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DvewMpVmt7M/VYSA1SfOTGI/AAAAAAAAPNk/GV51CB1l7xQ/s1600/IMG_9122%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DvewMpVmt7M/VYSA1SfOTGI/AAAAAAAAPNk/GV51CB1l7xQ/s1600/IMG_9122%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">myself and the husband with our kiddos and their grandparents!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndhcdw60JM8/VYSAy9rj_II/AAAAAAAAPPI/b3ptrOo4JSk/s1600/IMG_9030%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndhcdw60JM8/VYSAy9rj_II/AAAAAAAAPPI/b3ptrOo4JSk/s1600/IMG_9030%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fi0Sz6po9Sg/VYSCfX272TI/AAAAAAAAPPQ/YEuIH5CaPVE/s1600/IMG_9055%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fi0Sz6po9Sg/VYSCfX272TI/AAAAAAAAPPQ/YEuIH5CaPVE/s1600/IMG_9055%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McpHbI5w8No/VYSAy8FY56I/AAAAAAAAPPI/m6DtfGnpOdw/s1600/IMG_9037%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McpHbI5w8No/VYSAy8FY56I/AAAAAAAAPPI/m6DtfGnpOdw/s1600/IMG_9037%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everyone got their jump on, even some of the adorable babies that attended, and we all had fun watching the kids scream and laugh as they played together. The party ended with delicious cake (Costco never fails!) and the most perfectly decorated sugar cookies by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sugarcomacookies" target="_blank">Sugar Coma Cookies</a>. My friend, Mary—a momma to triplets, who I've gushed about on the blog before!—makes the yummy treats and has blown up her business over the last year and a half. She has a true talent for baking and decorating cookies!! I order from her for nearly every special occasion we have, and it's now tradition to have <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sugarcomacookies" target="_blank">Sugar Coma Cookies</a> at the quad's birthday! She designed the train and ballerina cookies based on their invitation, which I had sent her beforehand, and they turned out great!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqGf3pMMwPM/VYSAyVdaXWI/AAAAAAAAPPI/sO10DhokON8/s1600/IMG_9020%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqGf3pMMwPM/VYSAyVdaXWI/AAAAAAAAPPI/sO10DhokON8/s1600/IMG_9020%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since we had a smaller group of kids attending this year, I wanted to do some nicer favors and ended up choosing fluffy pink tutus (<a href="http://www.myprincesspartytogo.com/" target="_blank">My Princess Party</a>) and silver tiaras (Hobby Lobby) for the girls and wooden trains (Target) and conductor hats (<a href="http://www.trainparty.com/" target="_blank">Train Party</a>) for the boys. I printed my own tags that I affixed to small gift bags and also included a coordinating cookie in each one as well. There were some pretty cute ballerinas and train conductors!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gmb75k7Ly_s/VYSA0C8_fiI/AAAAAAAAPNE/5CNOLP5bqYY/s1600/IMG_9082%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gmb75k7Ly_s/VYSA0C8_fiI/AAAAAAAAPNE/5CNOLP5bqYY/s1600/IMG_9082%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuLSuw8bbsM/VYSA49gIvGI/AAAAAAAAPOo/wkgOrcSQiQ4/s1600/favors%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuLSuw8bbsM/VYSA49gIvGI/AAAAAAAAPOo/wkgOrcSQiQ4/s1600/favors%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCFbTE-3cjU/VYSAydUDLmI/AAAAAAAAPPI/OWnR_0evx58/s1600/IMG_9017%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCFbTE-3cjU/VYSAydUDLmI/AAAAAAAAPPI/OWnR_0evx58/s1600/IMG_9017%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERBIZNtnJxU/VYSA4ousPaI/AAAAAAAAPOk/HCMTEFYO8tE/s1600/IMG_9182%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERBIZNtnJxU/VYSA4ousPaI/AAAAAAAAPOk/HCMTEFYO8tE/s1600/IMG_9182%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And because I am apparently not satisfied with a nice little two hour-long party at a venue that doesn't require me to do any setup or cleanup, I needed to host a whole group at our home afterward! In truth, though, the husband and I do enjoy a good party and we love having people over, so it was only natural we kept the celebration going well into the evening.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9qD6iL9MxWo/VYSA1y9pHZI/AAAAAAAAPNs/-moj1ybEcBA/s1600/IMG_9131%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9qD6iL9MxWo/VYSA1y9pHZI/AAAAAAAAPNs/-moj1ybEcBA/s1600/IMG_9131%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the husband and his mom</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcjP_ijsxhk/VYSA2cnD5mI/AAAAAAAAPN0/pf83I-BGa7E/s1600/IMG_9133%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcjP_ijsxhk/VYSA2cnD5mI/AAAAAAAAPN0/pf83I-BGa7E/s1600/IMG_9133%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ihyYt2RNQg/VYSA2sesSdI/AAAAAAAAPOs/b2dA2_IR6oE/s1600/IMG_9143%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ihyYt2RNQg/VYSA2sesSdI/AAAAAAAAPOs/b2dA2_IR6oE/s1600/IMG_9143%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KcQyu4dzogw/VYSA2yInAGI/AAAAAAAAPOI/18Yr54TsO2I/s1600/IMG_9147%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KcQyu4dzogw/VYSA2yInAGI/AAAAAAAAPOI/18Yr54TsO2I/s1600/IMG_9147%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ODQrHG2N9zE/VYSA4JsO3MI/AAAAAAAAPOg/OHpTnlC4PHA/s1600/IMG_9175%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ODQrHG2N9zE/VYSA4JsO3MI/AAAAAAAAPOg/OHpTnlC4PHA/s1600/IMG_9175%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We set out tons of food and opened a couple bottles of wine, and <a href="http://fourtoadore.com/" target="_blank">our quad buddies</a> also made it for the after-party as well! Which was perfect because there were more than enough new toys to go around and keep all eight of our kiddos occupied! They stayed right up until the very end, donning their pajamas and evening brushing their teeth in the ball pit before they headed out. Mamas have to be creative sometimes, right!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iyeh5H0qnQs/VYSA3It8LJI/AAAAAAAAPO8/TojmWhWS4Eo/s1600/IMG_9153%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Iyeh5H0qnQs/VYSA3It8LJI/AAAAAAAAPO8/TojmWhWS4Eo/s1600/IMG_9153%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FLbVLQKmvIA/VYSA3gTXROI/AAAAAAAAPOU/5vquxzJbtAg/s1600/IMG_9159%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FLbVLQKmvIA/VYSA3gTXROI/AAAAAAAAPOU/5vquxzJbtAg/s1600/IMG_9159%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-racBf6r-KII/VYSA4LyYhjI/AAAAAAAAPO4/hBS6k159e4o/s1600/IMG_9164%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-racBf6r-KII/VYSA4LyYhjI/AAAAAAAAPO4/hBS6k159e4o/s1600/IMG_9164%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all, it was an awesome day and we relished every part of it. We are so grateful for our healthy babies—who are now quick to remind you that they're big kids!—and also for all the family and friends who have supported us in our journey to quads and love them all like their own.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy birthday, my beautiful babies!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" /></div>Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5389207644710680983.post-85763730740701511692015-06-03T00:07:00.001-05:002015-06-03T00:07:38.875-05:00My Sanity Thanks Our TeachersI remember ushering four kids down the hall, two or three of them holding tightly onto various fingers of my hand as they nervously shuffled their feet along. It was their first day at Mother's Day Out, a sort of pre-cursor to pre-school, if you will. I had to peel a few of them off of me in order to get them through the door of their class room and could still hear their wails as I made my way back to the front doors. But! Within two to three visits to their Monday class, they were loving it. And <i>I was loving it</i>! Alone time to accomplish things, clean house, run errands or simply be by myself is invaluable. <i>-slow clapping for all the moms reading this-&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i>Thanks to two wonderful teachers, Miss Jean and her daughter Miss MacKenzie, my little quad squad has grown to love their school experience. They've met new friends, learned soooo many new things, they get out of the house and under someone else's care for a day, someone that I trust and respect and admire for teaching my kids so well and we all love this experience! What's better, is that the school is at our home church and the Christian-based teaching is so important and valuable to us.<br /><br />We've now ended the school year and will resume with summer camp in a few weeks—which can't come soon enough!—but I made sure to grab some cute teacher gifts before their last day in class to let those special ladies know how much we appreciate their efforts!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E4QO6u_aO98/VW6IO6fMi0I/AAAAAAAAPLs/YznZEAxB2KY/s1600/IMG_8850%2Bcw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E4QO6u_aO98/VW6IO6fMi0I/AAAAAAAAPLs/YznZEAxB2KY/s1600/IMG_8850%2Bcw.jpg" /></a></div><br />It's not unusual for me to do all my shopping at Target. I can find any excuse to go to Target and we pretty much only frequent a specific Target store where the clerks, clinic nurse and store manager recognize us in the aisles—especially since&nbsp;<a href="http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2015/01/it-made-my-heart-stop.html" target="_blank">Trystan's scary seizure</a>&nbsp;when I was mid-checkout one afternoon. I just feel better shopping in a place that I know has everything I need in the case of an emergency! Besides, where else does it feel perfectly normal to buy bananas, spring wedge shoes and a cute striped toddler shirt all in one shopping trip? Don't forget the mascara and shampoo restock.<br /><br />But I digress. I wanted to put together a cute summery teacher gift and managed to find everything I needed in my one-stop-shop. There's a fun note pad, perfectly scented summer-time candle, plastic stemless wine glass, pineapple-infused face mask, summer fruit flavored Eos chapstick and an adorable nautical basket (for $3!).<br /><br />What childcare experience has saved your sanity? And what's your favorite teacher gift? I'll be needing many, many more in all the coming years!! :)<br /><br /><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7333/blogsig.png" style="width: NaN%;" />Amber B.https://plus.google.com/116951982129404587554noreply@blogger.com2